Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Vladimir Zhirinovsky
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Name	Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Caption	Zhirinovsky in 2016
Birth name	Vladimir Volfovich Eidelstein
Birth date	25 April 1946
Birth place	Almaty, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Death date	6 April 2022
Death place	Moscow, Russia
Nationality	Russian
Alma mater	Moscow State University (Institute of Asian and African Studies)
Occupation	Politician
Party	Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)
Office	Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
Term start	18 April 1992
Term end	6 April 2022
Office2	Deputy Chairman of the State Duma
Term start2	21 December 2011
Term end2	6 April 2022
Predecessor2	Position established
Successor2	Ivan Melnikov
Office3	Member of the State Duma
Term start3	12 December 1993
Term end3	6 April 2022
Constituency3	Federal list of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia

Vladimir Zhirinovsky was a prominent and highly controversial Russian politician, known for his flamboyant, nationalist, and often inflammatory rhetoric. He was the founder and perpetual leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), serving as a member of the State Duma from its first convocation in 1993 until his death. A fixture in Russian politics for three decades, he frequently ran for the presidency, finishing third in the 1991 election and becoming a vocal, theatrical opposition figure who both challenged and, critics argued, strategically supported the Kremlin.

Early life and education

He was born Vladimir Volfovich Eidelstein in Almaty, then part of the Kazakh SSR. His father, Wolf Eidelstein, was a Polish Jew who worked as an agronomist and lawyer. His early years were spent in the Soviet Union's multi-ethnic periphery before his family moved to Moscow. He graduated from the prestigious Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University in 1969, becoming a Turkologist with proficiency in Turkish and English. Following his studies, he served as an officer in the Transcaucasian Military District and later worked in the Soviet peace committee and the Mir publishing house.

Political career

His political ascent began in the twilight of the Soviet Union, co-founding the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union in 1989. He rose to national prominence during the 1991 Russian presidential election, where he shocked the political establishment by finishing a strong third behind Boris Yeltsin and Nikolai Ryzhkov. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he re-established his party as the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). The party achieved a major victory in the 1993 Russian legislative election, winning the largest share of the party-list vote and making him a powerful figure in the first State Duma. He would be re-elected consistently, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Duma from 2011. He was a perennial presidential candidate, also running in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2018, though never coming close to victory.

Political views and ideology

His ideology was a volatile mix of Russian nationalism, populism, imperialism, and social conservatism, often described as Zhirinovskyism. He advocated for the restoration of Russia's imperial borders, including the annexation of Alaska and Finland, and made numerous belligerent statements against Japan, the Baltic states, and Turkey. Domestically, he promoted statist economic policies, anti-immigration stances, and law and order platforms. Despite the party's name, his views were illiberal and authoritarian; he expressed admiration for figures like Joseph Stalin and was a staunch supporter of a powerful Russian military. His foreign policy visions were frequently expansionist and confrontational towards the United States and the European Union.

Controversies and public image

He was one of the most controversial figures in modern Russian politics, renowned for theatrical outbursts, physical altercations in parliament, and shocking statements. He was known for making offensive remarks about women, ethnic minorities, and foreign leaders, and was repeatedly accused of hate speech and xenophobia. His behavior in the State Duma, including throwing juice at a rival and brawling, became legendary. Many analysts viewed him and the LDPR as a "systemic opposition" tool managed by the Kremlin to channel protest votes and add spectacle to politics, a charge he always denied. His public image was that of a court jester with a serious political machine, whose outrageous persona masked calculated support for the policies of Vladimir Putin.

Personal life and death

He was married to Galina Lebedeva, a philologist, and had one son, Igor Lebedev, who also became a politician and served as a deputy chairman of the State Duma. He legally changed his surname from Eidelstein to Zhirinovsky, adopting a Slavic surname derived from the word for "fat." In early 2022, he was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 and suffering from its complications. He died on 6 April 2022 in Moscow, from the effects of the disease, just weeks before what would have been his 76th birthday. His death was marked by state honors, and he was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Category:Russian politicians Category:Members of the State Duma Category:1946 births Category:2022 deaths