Posters apparently advertising a Moscow department store's new sports collection by depicting the Russian president and premier wearing tennis outfits were removed on Monday, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
The posters, showing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wearing white polo shirts and shorts, were put up on Sunday night near the central Moscow TsUM department store.
The government subsequently demanded the removal of the posters by Tuesday and said it the store would face legal action if they were not taken down.
A spokesman for TsUM denied the store had any connection to the poster, saying "the use of TsUM trademark is illegal in this case."
In the event, it turned out the author of the posters was a member of a Moscow art group, who said he wanted to portray the country's two leaders as "fashionable and relaxed guys, who follow latest trends and enjoy a healthy lifestyle."
MOSCOW, May 30 (RIA Novosti)
