Kremlin releases photos of Vladimir Putin's vacation in Siberia

Russian President Vladimir Putin relaxes after fishing during the hunting and fishing trip which took place on August 1-3 in the republic of Tyva in southern Siberia, Russia, in this photo released by the Kremlin on August 5, 2017.Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin posed for action shots throughout his vacation earlier this week, as he fished, kayaked, snorkeled, and mushroom-picked his way through southern Siberia.

The Kremlin has often sought to portray the Russian leader through photos as a macho outdoorsman — he has been similarly photographed in the past doing activities like horseback riding, hunting, and practicing Judo.

On this vacation, Putin spent two days in the Tuva region and was accompanied part of the time by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Bloomberg.

And while the Siberian lake Putin visited is usually 63 degrees Fahrenheit, "that didn't keep the president from going for a swim," Peskov said. He added that Putin was "chasing a pike for two hours and just couldn't hit it, but he managed to get it in the end."