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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has appointed a glamorous former model as his 'personal photographer', triggering a flurry of comments why she was hired.
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25-year-old ex-model Yana Lapikova, who contested for the Miss Moscow title in 2008, would work as an intern for Putin's two photographers and may eventually become a full-timer, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
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"She is really a good photographer, and her modelling past is of no interest to us whatsoever because it's not a crime," Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA-Novosti. (AP Photo)
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Peskov said the two regular photographers are "squeezed dry" by their exhaustive schedule, which he compared to "penal servitude."
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But he said that finding one more photographer was hard because government pay is no match for salaries at news agencies. (AP Photo/Gleb Shchelkunov)
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In an interview to Biznes (Business) FM radio, Yana said she was employed by Izvestia daily and currently is on leave before taking up the new job. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Yana Lapikova)
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Samples of her work, include scantily-clad photographs of glamorous models, cats and birthday cakes, have drawn scathing comments over her appointment.
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In the interview to the radio, Yana claimed that she has already worked in the Kremlin pool, covering President Dmitry Medvedev. (PTI)
