Say what you will about Vladimir Putin’s extravagantly stage-managed photo ops, but variety is certainly not an issue. For this year’s Orthodox Christmas services, he strikes a favorite populist trope we haven’t seen in some time: the humble, Leningrad boy returns to his working class roots, and even dons a cozy Christmas sweater. Medvedev, by comparison, looks completely out of touch with the common citizen at his gilded ceremony.