Russian President Vladimir Putin defended on Tuesday the image of the “Russian girl” which was recently criticized by a senior priest in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), a member of the presidential council for culture and art, said that Russia previously was associated with modest girls who wore their hair in plaits, but that this image has been transformed into “a girl who drinks beer at a bus stop” and curses in public.

“We have many modern, beautiful girls who don’t abuse alcohol,” Putin said, adding that he was grateful for the Russian Orthodox Church’s efforts to combat drinking.