Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Russian politician (1946–2022)

Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky (Russian: Влади́мир Во́льфович Жирино́вский) (born Vladimir Volfovich Eidelstein; 25 April 1946 – 6 April 2022) was a Russian politician, lawyer and a colonel in the Soviet Army and later the Russian Army.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Владимир Жириновский
Official State Duma portrait
Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
In office
19 April 1991 – 6 April 2022
Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party group in the State Duma
In office
21 December 2011 – 6 April 2022
Preceded byIgor Lebedev
In office
12 December 1993 – 18 January 2000
Succeeded byIgor Lebedev
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma from Liberal Democratic Party
In office
18 January 2000 – 21 December 2011
Succeeded byIgor Lebedev
Member of the State Duma
In office
12 December 1993 – 6 April 2022
ConstituencyShchyolkovsky (1993–95)
Federal party list (1995–2022)
Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union
In office
April 1991 – 1992
Personal details
Born
Vladimir Volfovich Eidelstein

(1946-04-25)25 April 1946
Alma Ata, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
(now Almaty, Kazakhstan)
Died6 April 2022(2022-04-06) (aged 75)
Moscow, Russia
NationalityRussian
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party of Russia
Spouse(s)
Galina Lebedeva
(m. 1971; div. 1978)
ChildrenIgor Lebedev
Oleg Gazdarov
Anastasia Petrova
Alma materMoscow State University
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer
Awards
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (Russia, 2nd, 3rd, 4th class)
Signature
Military service
AllegianceSoviet Union Soviet Union
Russia Russian Federation
RankColonel

He was the founder and Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). He was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.[1][2][3][4] He was partly of Jewish descent (his father was Jewish).[5] He was the Liberal Democratic presidential candidate in 1991, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018.

Zhironovsky was extremely racist[6][7] and sexist.[8][9]

2021 speech

change

Zhirinovsky predicted in a speech on December 27 2021, the exact date when the Russian military invaded eastern Ukraine. He said "At 4 a.m. on February 22, you will feel [our new policy]. I would like 2022 to be a peaceful year. But I love the truth, for 70 years I have been telling the truth. It will not be peaceful. It will be a year when Russia becomes great again."[10]

In February 2022, Zhirinovsky was hospitalized in Moscow with COVID-19.[11][12] A month later, it was reported he was being treated for COVID-related problems such as sepsis and respiratory failure.[13][14]

Zhirinovsky died from problems caused by the virus on 6 April 2022, aged 75.[15][16]

References

change
  1. Diary: Campaign circus[permanent dead link], BBC News, 20 November 2007
  2. Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Russian politician) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com (26 April 1946).
  3. Russian nationalist Zhirinovsky nominated for president, RIA Novosti, 13/ 12/ 2007
  4. Zhirinovsky Beat Russia's top nationalist had a busy week abroad Archived 2011-01-22 at the Wayback Machine, Time Magazine, 14 February 1994
  5. BBC News
  6. 'Racist Vladimir Zhirinovsky expressed hatred towards Caucasians' (YouTube, uploaded 22 June 2011 - Russian audio only)
  7. Russian Ultra-Nationalist Zhirinovsky's Anti-US 2002 Rant (YouTube, uploaded 29 March 2007 - Russian audio, English subtitles)
  8. 'Vladimir Zhirinovsky reveals the truth about women' (YouTube, uploaded 23 June 2013 - Russian with English subtitles)
  9. 'Possibly the world’s vilest politician orders his men to “violently rape” pregnant journalist Archived 2014-05-07 at the Wayback Machine', 5 May 2014
  10. Josie Ensor (22 February 2022). "How the Kremlin's 'jester' appeared to predict the date of Russia entering Ukraine months ago". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  11. "Russian Ultranationalist Zhirinovsky Reportedly Hospitalized In Serious Condition With COVID". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  12. "Russian State Duma legislator Vladimir Zhirinovsky hospitalized in serious condition in Moscow". Armen Press. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  13. "Vladimir Zhirinovsky reported dead, Duma Speaker denies reports". AKI Press. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. "Telegram Channel 112: Vladimir Zhirinovsky is in a critical condition". News.Am. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  15. "Russian far-right politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky dies at 75". Reuters. 6 April 2022.
  16. "Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Far-Right Court Jester of Russian Politics, Dies at 75". The Moscow Times. 6 April 2022.