1000 and 4000 days of personality cult in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine

**Executive summary:** This analysis describes how the Russian regime has developed and weaponized a cult of personality around Vladimir Putin—through state media, staged public displays, and legal repression—to suppress dissent, justify the invasion of Ukraine, and eliminate institutional checks on power; it highlights the domestic and international propaganda efforts and the feedback loop between military aggression and centralized personal authority.