The other side of Yury Luzhkov

Yury Luzhkov, who has been Moscow Mayor for the past 18 years, celebrates his 74th birthday on September 21. We decided to mark the occasion with a slideshow showing what Luzhkov gets up to in his spare time.

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© RIA Novosti

Yury Luzhkov, who has been Moscow Mayor for the past 18 years, celebrates his 74th birthday on September 21. We decided to mark the occasion with a slideshow showing what Luzhkov gets up to in his spare time.

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© RIA Novosti . Boris Babanov

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Yury Luzhkov married Yelena Baturina in 1991. They have two daughters – Yelena (1992) and Olga (1994). Photo: 1998. Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov watches the Moscow Day celebrations with his daughters and wife.

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© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Rodionov

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Luzhkov is a big football fan. He says the Moscow city government could beat the Russian national team in a game any day.

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© RIA Novosti . Oleg Lastochkin

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Luzhkov also enjoys ice bathing in the Moscow River in winter. Photo: 1992. Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov and Moscow City Government Premier Luzhkov before swimming in Serebryany Bor, Moscow.

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© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Rodionov

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Luzhkov plays tennis whenever he has a gap in his timetable.

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© RIA Novosti . Ruslan Krivobok

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Shooting is another favorite of his. Photo: Yury Luzhkov at the shooting range of a new police building in west Moscow.

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© RIA Novosti . Dmitry Korobeynikov

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And on special occasions, the mayor can also be seen dancing.

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© RIA Novosti . Dmitry Korobeynikov

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Luzhkov has met Prince Michael of Kent…

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© RIA Novosti . Dmitry Donskoy

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… and Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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© RIA Novosti . Oleg Lastochkin

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The Moscow Mayor has been deep under the streets of the capital...

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© RIA Novosti . Yuri Abramochkin

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…and stood arm-in-arm with beautiful women during the closing ceremony of the VIII Fashion Week.

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© RIA Novosti . Mikhail Fomichev

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On subbotniks (Russian volunteer work days) Luzhkov hangs birdhouses himself.

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© RIA Novosti . Grigoriy Sysoev

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Luzhkov even has time to go to carnivals. This year, the mayor wore a wizard costume to meet Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost).

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© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Rodionov

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow was re-built on Luzhkov’s initiative. Photo: Luzhkov and late Patriarch Alexy II at the opening ceremony of the Marfo-Mariinskaya Mercy Cloister after reconstruction.

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© RIA Novosti . Ruslan Krivobok

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The Moscow mayor frequently attends festivities in honor of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah

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© RIA Novosti . Valery Melnikov

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Everyone knows that Luzhkov’s favorite piece of clothing is his cap.