Putin Protest Portraits

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Dmitry Polosov, 25, a scientist, holds a poster reading "for the honor society, for responsible for every act, for freedom of knowledge, for good in the hearts, for love in the minds" as he poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow. Despite temperatures plunging to minus 20 C (minus 4 F), thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow to challenge Putin's bid.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Tatyana Lazareva, 46, a television presenter, holds a poster reading "move on to the next level" as she poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Vyacheslav Barannikov, 38, an engineer, wears a white ribbon reading "For Russia without Putin" as he poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Yekaterina, 26, a translator, wears a scarf with the name of presidential contender Mikhail Prokhorov as she poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Kirill, 26, a scientist, wears a scarf with the name of presidential contender Mikhail Prokhorov as he poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Nina Lipkina, 53, unemployed, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Gennady, 73, a pensioner, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Yana Romanova, 35, a designer, wears a white ribbon reading "For Russia without Putin" as she poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Artur Gazarov, 43, wears a white ribbon reading "For Russia without Putin" as he poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Liliya Pevter, 62, a pensioner, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Igor German, 23, an engineer, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Mikhail Shats, 46, an actor, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.

In this Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Dima Kuzmich, 29, a bank employee, poses in front of a white canvas placed in the middle of the crowd at a massive protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in Bolotnaya square in Moscow.