page_title: Vladimir Zhirinovsky
section_title: Founding of the Liberal Democratic Party
hierarchical_section_title: Vladimir Zhirinovsky / Founding of the Liberal Democratic Party
caption_attribution_description: English: THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW. Vladimir Putin with Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.Русский: МОСКВА, КРЕМЛЬ. С руководителем фракции ЛДПР в Государственной Думе Владимиром Жириновским.
context_page_description: Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. He is fiercely nationalist and has been described as "a showman of Russian politics, blending populist and nationalist rhetoric, anti-Western invective and a brash, confrontational style". His views have been described as fascist. He is considered by Russian scholars as a neo-Eurasianist.
context_section_description: In April 1991 Zhirinovsky, along with Vladimir Bogachev, took initiatives which led to the founding of the Liberal Democratic Party, the second registered party in the Soviet Union and therefore the first officially sanctioned opposition party. According to the former CPSU Politburo member Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev, this party started as a joint project of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) leadership and the KGB. Yakovlev wrote in his memoirs that KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov presented the project of the puppet LDPR party at a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev and informed him about the selection of the LDPR leader. According to Yakovlev, the name of the party was chosen by KGB General Philipp Bobkov. However, Bobkov said that he was against the creation of "Zubatov's pseudo-party under KGB control that would direct the interests and sentiments of certain social groups".
  Zhirinovsky's first political breakthrough came in June 1991 when he came third in Russia's first presidential election, gathering more than six million votes or 7.81%. This view was further encouraged by rumors, denied by Zhirinovsky, that he was an agent of the KGB and that the LDPR was a farcical creation meant to either discredit or distract earnest opposition to the government. Such impressions would last even as the Soviet Union was dissolved and the Russian Communist Party itself took an opposition role. In 1992 Zhirinovsky made contact with Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader at that time of France's Front National (FN). Eduard Limonov of the National-Bolshevik Party introduced the men to each other and the FN later "provided logistical support [to the LDPR], including computers and fax machines". Zhirinovsky suggested establishing the International Centre of Right-wing Parties in Moscow and invited Le Pen to Moscow. 
  The Liberal Democratic Party remained a significant force in Russian politics. At the height of its fortunes, the LDPR gathered 23% of the vote in the 1993 Duma elections and achieved a broad representation throughout the country – the LDPR being the top vote-getter in 64 out of 87 regions. This fact encouraged Zhirinovsky to once again vie for the presidential office, this time against incumbent Boris Yeltsin. The fact that Yeltsin's candidacy seemed seriously challenged by Russian nationalist groups and a rejuvenated Communist Party alarmed many outside observers, particularly in the Western world, who expressed concern that such developments pose a serious threat to the survival of Russian democracy, already in a very fragile state. Zhirinovsky became a focal point of harsh criticism and seemed the living embodiment of authoritarianism and militarism in modern Russia. While some observers inclined to consider his controversial statements as stark efforts to drum up nationalist support, not viewable as anything more severe than electoral fodder meant for domestic consumption, there was considerable dismay at the fact that in February 1996, months before a presidential election, Zhirinovsky placed second in opinion polls, behind Communist Gennady Zyuganov and ahead of Boris Yeltsin. In the end, however, Zhirinovsky placed fifth with a 5.7% share in the first round of voting. Since then, the party's fortunes have stabilized somewhat, with the 2003 election seeing an LDPR vote share of 11.7%. In 2004, Zhirinovsky declined even to be nominated by the party, leaving that role to Oleg Malyshkin, who received 2% support from voters.
  For his part, Zhirinovsky has done a great deal to foster a reputation as a loud and boisterous populist who speaks on behalf of the Russian nation and people, even when the things he says are precisely what many people, at home or abroad, do not want to hear. Zhirinovsky infamously promised voters in 1991 that if he were elected, free vodka would be distributed to all. Similarly, he once remarked, during a political rally inside a Moscow department store, that if he were made president, underwear would be freely available. Zhirinovsky has on several occasions become involved in altercations with othe
caption: Zhirinovsky and Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in 2000
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "TAS23:MOSCOW, July 4 . Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) receives Leader of the State Duma's Liberal Democratic faction Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The meeting was part of Putin's consultations with parliament members. On Monday he met with leader of the Fatherland-All Russia faction Yevgeny Primakov and Yabloko head Grigory Yavlinsky. On Tuesday he received leader of the Unity faction Boris Gryzlov and head of the People's Deputy group Gennady Raikov. (ITAR-TASS photo/ Vladimir Rodionov, Sergei Velichkin) ----- \u0422\u0410\u042145. \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u044f. 4 \u0438\u044e\u043b\u044f. \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0430. \u0412 \u041a\u0440\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0447\u0430\u044f \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0447\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0437\u0438\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430 \u0420\u0424 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u041f\u0443\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0430 /\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0430/ \u0441 \u043b\u0438\u0434\u0435\u0440\u043e\u043c \u0434\u0443\u043c\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0444\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0446\u0438\u0438 \u041b\u0414\u041f\u0420 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u043e\u043c \u0416\u0438\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u043c /\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430/. \u0411\u0435\u0441\u0435\u0434\u0430 \u041f\u0443\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0438 \u0416\u0438\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u0435\u0449\u0435 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0439 \u0432 \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0445 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0430\u0446\u0438\u0439, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0443\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442 \u0441 \u043b\u0438\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043c \u0444\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0446\u0438\u0439 \u0438 \u043e\u0431\u044a\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0413\u043e\u0441\u0434\u0443\u043c\u044b. \u0412\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0447\u0430 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u041f\u0443\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0438 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u0416\u0438\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u043e 40 \u043c\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0442. \u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u044f \u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0447\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u0438 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u0420\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430 (\u0418\u0422\u0410\u0420-\u0422\u0410\u0421\u0421)", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS Windows", "Image DateTime": "2007:04:05 11:40:29", "Image Artist": "\u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0447\u043a\u0438\u043d \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439,\u0420\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0432 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438", "Image ExifOffset": "1620", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1758", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5972", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "500", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "334"}