Vladimir Putin will be sworn into office at a lavish ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before.
The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition.
The inauguration will be broadcast live on most major Russian television channels from around midday (0900 GMT) when a luxury motorcade will drive Putin to Moscow’s Grand Kremlin Palace.
After arriving, he will walk through the palace corridors to the ornate Saint Andrew Hall, where he will take the presidential oath and make a brief address to Russians.
Government officials and foreign diplomats in Moscow have been invited to the ceremony, including French Ambassador Pierre Levy, who is expected to attend.
Other European countries including Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic have signalled that they will not send representatives amid soured tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin’s 87 percent landslide victory in the presidential election was criticized by most international observers and dismissed as rigged by opposition and rights groups.