Vladimir Putin, the once-and-forever ruler of Russia, enjoys his vodka cold, his puppy popularly-named, and his shows of virility barechested. But he's only too happy to recognize a similar show of masculinity, which is why he decided to give props to Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio was in St. Petersburg to attend a summit on saving wild tigers, a summit he finally got to after plane trouble grounded his first and second flights. But made it he did, which caught the gimlet eye of Putin, who lauded the Inception star saying, "A person with less stable nerves could have decided against coming, could have read it as a sign - that it was not worth going." This virile perseverance made DiCaprio a "muzhik" or "real man."
So, congrats Leo! This practically guarantees him a polonium-210-free stay in beautiful St. Petersburg. Enjoy!