I get paid to be a Putin impersonator – but now I fear for my life

From NY Post.com (Mar. 1):

A man who made bank being a dead ringer for Vladimir Putin claims he fears for his life after the Russian president ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Slawek Sobola, 53, has spent the past eight years professionally impersonating 69-year-old Putin — and has traveled to the US, the UK and Hong Kong for special gigs.

Sobola — who hails from the city of Wroclaw in southwestern Poland — told the Daily Star he has earned “good money” parodying the president, but is now concerned that locals will turn on him.

“Before the war, I wasn’t afraid for my safety on the street, but now … I’m a little afraid because in Wroclaw, there’s a lot of people from Ukraine who work and live here,” the infamous celebrity lookalike told the outlet.

“There have been many times that these people told me I look like Putin, and now because of the war, I’m a little afraid that these people could be angry or aggressive when they see me,” he further explained.

Putin has been the aggressor in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, and is seen as a villainous figure across much of the world.

Sobola says he used to “respect” Putin, but his opinion has changed since the war in Ukraine began last week.

He has vowed to no longer impersonate Putin, saying he does not want to profit from the conflict. [read more]

That’s too bad. He does resemble Putin though. Maybe he should wear a shirt that says “I am NOT the real Putin!” 😊

More Putin madness:

A French restaurant says it received insults and threats from customers who thought its signature Quebecois dish poutine was named after Putin