264 Zhirinovsky As a Nationalist "Kitsch Artist'' by Sergei Kibalnik

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#264 Zhirinovsky as a Nationalist "Kitsch Artist'' by Sergei Kibalnik

Sergei Kibalnik is Senior Associate at the fustitute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg and a former USIA-Supported Regional Exchange Scholar at the Kennan fustitute for Advanced Russian Studies.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Russian Anti-Hero 1

Verbal Kitsch 6

Kitsch in Pictures 13

The "Kitsch Man" 15

Conclusion 16

ZHIRINOVSKY AS A NATIONALIST "KITSCH ARTIST"

The Russian Anti-Hero present in his eclectic mixture. It is, In their comments on Vladimir moreover, striking that Zhirinovsky Volfovich Zhirinovs~ many himself does not deny this. He Western and Russian scholars fault acknowledges it and even boasts him for being an ultranationalist. Yet about it. He has said, for example: this epithet might be regarded as ''Women frequently deceive by not flattering rather than harsh. It has saying what they think. Consequently, been noted that Zhirinovsky has you also have to deceive them, not frequently switched the political telling them what you want but what circles he moved in, the political they want to hear. I transferred this platforms he stood on, and the concept to politics and achieved political views he expressed. Indeed, great success."2 Like Khlestakov in by now he may have exhausted all Gogel's The Inspector General, the options that the current political Zhirinovsky constantly displays and ideological situation offers to a what he really is, and consequently politician. He has been active in nobody believes it. The mayor in Shalom, a Jewish cultural group. He Gogol's classic story was surprised has attended the meetings of, and that he had taken Khlestakov to be apparently wanted to join, various the inspector general. This happened democratic organizations. He did precisely because the former bore no join the misleadingly named Liberal resemblance to the latter, continually Democratic Party of the U.S.S.R., and showed that he had nothing in after the breakup of the Soviet Union common with him, and the mayor he formed his own party, the Liberal expected the inspector general to be Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). cleverly disguised. 1his party interestingly enough, Presumably in order to soften this became the first registered party in cynical lack of scruples, Sergei the Soviet Union-although it broke some electoral rules, thus arousing Plekhanov (that last name!-history the suspicion that it was created "to repeating itself as farce), in his undermine the influence of genuine apologetic Zhirinovsky: Who Is He?, liberal organizations."1 created a theoretical justification for A reading of Zhirinovsky's Zhirinovsky's frequent ideological interviews and articles confirms that shifts. Seeking to paint Zhirinovsky's in different periods he has professed disdain for convictions as a pseudcr quite contradictory views. He began readiness to make concessions and with what seemed to be truly liberal compromises in order to reach an and democratic convictions and agreement, Plekhanov makes this ended with the stridently imperialistic argument (alluding, in the course of and chauvinistic ideas that are still it, to another work of Gogol's ):

1 Boris Kagarlitsky, Restoration in Russia: Why Capitalism Failed (London and New York: VERSO, 19"95), 63. 2 Interview in Playboy (May 1995): 61.

1 The images of the imperial All of this nonsense is thoroughly subconsciousness are Zhi.rinovskian. The open immoralism, extraordinarily multilayered. the pretension of being the epitome They arose out of the necessity of of "Russian national character," and accommodating various national stereotypes in the name of the readiness to adapt in order to get preserving the leading role of the something from someone are prevailing nation As paradoxical constantly displayed by Zhirinovsky as it may be, those who profess himself. In a talk given in September imperial ideology are always 1995 at the Kennan Institute for somewhat opportunistic. It's hard Advanced Russian Studies, Vladimir to imagine ruling a superstate without having the ability to Gusinsky, the head of MOST, the negotiate or to concede on certain largest bank in Moscow, said that issues. The Russian soul is the Zhirinovsky had recently spent an incarnate confirmation of this hle hour in his office trying to convince principle. Specifically among several Jewish foreigners just how Russians, there is a very common much he liked Jews-while in type of person, who is prepared speeches in the provinces, he blames to say gladly whatever those surrounding him expect him to the Jews for all of Russia's misfortunes. say: with the Tartars, to praise Even his family background Islam; with the Germans, to changes to suit his location. When slander the Asiatics; with thieves, Zhirinovsky is in Israel, his father is to curse the informers; with Jewish; when he's in Russia, his soldiers, to lament the decrease in father becomes just "a lawyer." discipline-and in each of these When the newspaper Moscow situations a tear of honesty and tender emotion will be experienced. Komsomolets published an article about Zhirinovsky, the headline was, The non-Russian has subtly "Vladimir Volfovich is a pure Russian noticed this peculiarity in the but sometimes just a little bit Jewish."4 classics of Nikolai Gogol. His Plekhanov extends his comparison novel Dead Souls presents a whole gallery of Russian types, one of between Zhirinovsky and Nozdrev: which is the landowner Nozdrev, "In Zhirinovsky there is this a character who is ready to praise Nozdrev-like self-assurance in his any opinion and who has the zeal standing up for the opinion of any to stand up for it as though it were person to whom he is speaking. The precisely the source of his personal fact that he was received by various thoughts on life. Incidentally, national groups in the early stages of there is nothing bad about this characteristic. It is an altogether his political career grew out of precisely this Nozdrev-like aspect of idle occupation to place moral 5 evaluatio-s-s on peculiarities of his character." But Plekhanov fails character. to mention that Gogol portrayed

3 Sergei Plekhanov, Zhirinovsky: Kto on? (Moscow: Evraziya-Nord, 1994), 112- 113. 4 Aleksei Minkin, "Vladimir Vol'fovich chistyi russkii, no inogda nemnozhechko evrei," as quoted in Eduard Limonov, Limonov protiv Zhirtnovskogo (Moscow: Konets veka,1994), 43. 5 Plekhanov, Zhirinovsky: Kfo on?, 113.

2 Nozdrev as a li~ an egoist, a Maksimov. When Zhirinovsky swindler, and a scoundrel: appointed Eduard Limonov as minister of security in the shadow In a sense Nozdrev was a historical character. There was always some cabinet of his LDPR, Moscow "history" attached to any gathering Komsomolets headlined the story, at which he assisted. Something "Zhirinovsky has found an iron always happened: Either he would Edik"7-an allusion to Felix have to be conducted from the room Dzerzhinsky, "Iron Felix," the first by gendarmes or his own friends head of the Communist government's would be obliged to push him out. If nothing of the kind happened, secret police. then inevitably something else out of Plekhanov makes another note the ordinary would occur: Either he worthy comparison between would get so tight at the refreslunent Zhirinovsky and Khlestakov, the bar that he could only roar with Gogolian character whom I have laughter, or he would tell such already mentioned. whoppers that his own conscience would prick him. And he used to Perhaps the most important indulge in lies without any necessity: factor in Zhirinovsky's success was He would suddenly spin a yarn his ability to bluff fearlessly. about some horse he had with a Distributing letters of indemnity left pink or light-blue coat, or some nonsense of the sort, so that the and right on his party's stationery, he people he was talking to would received, on credit, more time than leave him, saying, "That's a was offered to any other electoral 6 fisherman's tale, my lad." bloc in the official drawing for Zhirinovsky's public behavior, television advertising time. It was his perpetual scandals and fights in said at the time that he spent a billion the Dwna, his incredible promises rubles to purchase television time for and stories, convince us that he is his electoral propaganda. The thing indeed a ''historical character" in the is, that billion did not exist. All that same sense. existed were his commitments to pay There is yet another respect in the billion. which Zhirinovsky reminds us of Plekhanov goes on to describe Nozdrev. While playing checkers the scene when Khlestakov arrives in with Chichikov, the main character of a little regional town and Dead Souls, Nozdrev tries to cheat. Chichikov notices and refuses to ... is stuck in a local hotel as a result continue, and so Nozdrev calls in his of his insolvency. The local house-serfs and orders them to beat bureaucrats, however, mistake him for a government inspector from Chichikov. Chichikov is rescued by Petersburg, who was due to arrive the appearance of a local court incognito in their town. Confusion executive, who had come to notify begins: they are ready to carry the Nozdrev that he was being sued for VIP around in their own hands, and having flogged the landowner Khlestakov plays up to his admirers,

6 Nikolai Gogol, Dead Souls, ed. George Gibian, trans. George Reavey (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Uruversity Press, 1985), 72. 7 Moskovskii komsomolets, 23 June 1992.

3 prunting~liasavay Zhirinovsky, when registering the 8 influential and powerful figure. LDPR, managed to turn its several dozen actual members into 5,000 by, Again, Plekhanov does not point for example, submitting a list of all out that Gogol also characterized 2,714 inhabitants, from babies to the Khlestakov as being "a little scatter elderly, in the village of Gantiadi on brained and as they say, a bit weak in the Black Sea in Abkhazia (a disputed the top story-one of those people region within the republic of who are regarded as empty-headed Georgia). Referring to this list, a in their offices; someone who speaks Moscow newspaper quipped that and acts without any forethought; the partv was collecting "dead quite incapable of focusing his souls."10 attention on any particular idea. His Some scholars have found still speech is jerky, and words spring other roots for Zhirinovsky's public 9 from his lips quite unexpectedly.o image in Russian culture. The The stupid local officials who American scholar Mark Yoffe mistake Khlestakov for the inspector compares him with Russian literary and offer him bribes could never critic Vasilii Rozanov, religious writer reclaim their funds. Learning from Archpriest Avvakum, and Ivan the their mistakes, perhaps we should Terrible, among others. He asserts that take Zhirinovsky to court and make his public image "contains a large him pay his debt to Russian dose of Bakhtinian carnivalesque television. It would make more sense stylistics" (American Slavists cannot to convict him of fraud, and thereby seem to do without Mikhail Bakhtin) give the country much-needed "and the Russian holy fools funds, than to sue him for vague and (yurodivye)."11 These "fools," in unprofitable accusations of fascism Russian-Byzantine tradition, were (especially since such trials so far street preachers known for their have been won by Zhirinovsky). readiness to state the truth to any I cannot resist making one more authority, even the tsar and his comparison between Zhirinovsky ministers, often in a very crude and and one of Gogol's characters. insulting manner. Chichikov, the main character of Dead In my view, this sort of analysis is Souls, is a swindler who purchases an overestimation of Zhirinovsky the documents of ownership of (who is hardly aware of these peasants who are already dead but cultural figures) and makes the issue are still registered as living, in order more obscure and complex than it to fraudulently obtain a mortgage needs to be. Some of these allusions from the bank. In the same way, were actually used by Zhirinovsky's

8 Plekhanov, Zhirinovsky: Kto on?, 143. 9 Nikolai V. Gogol, The Government Inspector, trans. and adapted by D.J. Campbell. (London: Steven Press, 1947), 14. 10 Cited in Vladimir Solovyov and Elena Klepikova, Zhirinovsky: Russian Fascism and the Making ofa Dictator (Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1995), 9. 11 Mark Yoffe, "Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Unholy Fool," Current History 93 (October 1994): 324.

4 aides in order to soften the bad been the case with Limonov and impressions that he created by his Kashpirovsky, and the same is likely own behavior. Vengerovsky, one of to happen with Marychev. During a the leading members of the LDPR, quarrel with Marychev on the for example, explained to Richard floor of the Duma, Zhirinovsky Nixon after he met with Zhirinovsky recommended that Marychev be in March 1994 that the latter examined by a psychiatrist. The next deliberately adopted the extravagant day, Marychev arrived in the Duma image of the holy fool, who is dressed as a physician and suggested allowed to speak the truth with that he himself examine Zhirinovsky. impunity. In reality, Zhirinovsky Later, he donned the costumes of speaks not the truth, but anything a Serbian soldier and a Chechen that might be beneficial for him. He guerrilla. resembles the holy fool about as Yoffe is right when he says that much as, to use the word play of a Zhirinovsky "most of all ... is not Russian popular joke, kanal pokhozh about substance but about style." The na kanalizatsiyu ("a canal resembles a question is: what style? Although sewage system"). propounding traditional aesthetic Yoffe also pointed out that views, Zhirinovsky in reality displays "Zhirinovsky has adopted Limonov's a constant inclination toward trashy principle that any publicity is good diversion. He represents the publicity, and he persistently brings phenomenon of kitsch in politics, himself to the media's and the an illustration of just how far public's attention, steadily beefing contemporary Russian popular up his notoriety."12 But of course this culture has penetrated into politics. is not merely "Limonov's principle." This is not Soviet popular culture, it It is a principle of mass culture that is Russian popular culture in the is used by any superstar. Thus, process of transition from Soviet to Zhirinovsky surrounds himself with Westernized mass culture. representatives of pop culture, people The same holds true for the such as Limonov, author of novels evolution of Russian political culture. written in coarse language; the Limonov sees the change Zhirinovsky hypnotist and faith healer Anatoly brought to Russian politics as Kashpirovsky, widely believed to "having introduced the language of possess occult powers; the failed the street into politics." "After the documentary director Aleksei wooden speech of the (Communist) Mitrofanov; the professional showman Party, he spoke with the common Marychev; and the Italian porn star man in his own language, and the Chicholina. fellow in the street liked that. But Zhirinovsky's party is a Zhirinovsky never takes credit for his one-man show, and audacious extras street argot, but that's his strength... are either expelled from the party or His caricatured speech... sounds leave it of their own accord. Such has normal to the common man and

12 Ibid., 326.

5 easily penetrates his consciousness."13 1992 and 1994.16 In it, we can see It may be admitted that after the evidence of both the fluidity of his "wooden speech of the Party," views and the constancy of his Zhirinovsky's talk sounded fresh "kitschy" style. to the common people at first. To begin with, the former Nevertheless, ordimu:y people do not internationalist, an "aborted product speak the way he does. Limonov, of nationalism" [ vykidysh who has been living in France and natsionalizma ], as Limonov called developing a sort of kitsch language in him, has transformed himself into an ostensibly genuine nationalist. his own prose, apparently has only a Here is his description of a future vague idea of what sounds normal restoration of the Russian Empire: and what sounds abnormal to the common people of Russia. We need a Russia with borders When the weekly Argumenty as they existed at the beginning i fakti surveyed a sample of the of this century or at least with the 1977 borders. And we will Russian population asking which achieve this without any shooting. Russian politician they would prefer We will leave all the territories, to drink with, very few named we'll put an end to this Ukrainian Zhirinovsky. (One of the respondents tempest in a teapot, and we'll expressed the fear that Zhirinovsky leave Central Asia. We'll leave would talk him to death.) His them to their field officers and mullahs. After a while, they will speaking style, lacking any order come back to us. Actually, they or logic, calls to mind the main won't exactly come, they will character in Saltykov-Shchedrin's crawl, all out of sorts, hungry, and satirical novel The Golovlyov Family, sick. Some of them will walk with who was described as "empty talk, crutches, others will be laid out empty mind, and empty heart" on stretchers. They will beg us to [pustoslovie, pustomyslie, i pustoutrobie] .14 at least give them some hot water to wash themselves with. We will Verbal kitsch accept some nations (our brother Slavs, without question), but there The books on Zhirinovsky will be no Republic of Ukraine. published over the last few years There will be two dozen provinces have focused gn his earlier literary directly subordinate to the center. productions.1 Perhaps his most And, I repeat, the most important revealing work, however, is a more thing is not to become involved recent one, Poslednii vagon na sever in any conflicts. Let Turkey, Iran, [The Last Coach to the North], a and Pakistan get involved in collection of articles written between conflicts. This will result in the

13 Limonov, Limanov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 126. 14 M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, Gospoda Golovlyovy, in his Sobranie sochinenii (Moscow: Khudozhestvennaya literatura, 1972), 13:253. 15 Soloryov and I

6 loss of their statehood. The southern of the ordinary man, the philistine, if morass of instability will absorb you will. He wants to live quietly in them. And then we'll come. Ow his apartment, to have a loving wife soldiers will wash their boots in the and healthy children, to be busy on warm waters of the Indian Ocean, weekends in his little garden in the and the local inhabitants will greet suburbs, and to go on vacation once them with flowers. They will come a year. He does not want to interfere as saviors, as rescuers from with anyone else, but he also doesn't starvation and extermination. But want anyone to interfere with him. upon our arrival in the south we He is not at all a hero and does not will not build cosmodromes on the want to gouge the frozen soil with a steppes, plow virgin lands, or begin piece of scrap iron or to lay down irrigation projects. Everything will under tanks in the name of some remain as it was, as the local principle. He is repelled by the residents want it to be. Herds, poverty-stricken and perceives the barbecues, fresh air, and pilgrimages rich with irritation. He wants to be to Mecca-by foot, not in Boeing sure that his daughter will not be 747s. (pp. 22-23) raped on the street at night and that his son's head will not be cracked This picture of local inhabitants open with a bottle. He is not at all a along the coast of the Indian Ocean fanatic. Unlike Hitler, he doesn't greeting Russian soldiers with need any sort of occultism. He flowers brings to mind another wants to respect his leaders and to feel that they deserve their posts. He well-known incident in Russian is not a drunkard, but on holidays literature: the promise by Ostap he might drink a little and even shed Bender, in ill and Petrov's The Golden a few tears, recalling his father, who Calf, to obtain a million rubles from a was killed in the war. (pp. 25-26) Soviet millionaire on a little plate This appeal to the "philistine" by with a golden rim. But for some no means proves that Zhirinovsky's Russians, this kind of return of philosophy is akin to Nazism, but it prodigal sons to their magnanimous does suggest that he is a kitsch artist Father may be irresistibly attractive. who rivals even Hitler. Zhirinovsky presents his own The most common form of kitsch philosophy of national socialism, in his oeuvres is the use of erotic and differing from Hitler's but appealing communal metaphors. to a similar mind-set: Everyone who wants to leave his Nationalism is a combination of apartment should be allowed to the most important principles of leave. The only ones we will not socialism and nationalist ideas. let go are those who have a lot of National socialism has nothing in knowledge or those who have common with Hitlerisrn. Hitler caused damage without paying discredited the ideas of national compensation.Ernigrationisan socialism. There are many elements iron law, there shouldn't be any of Comintern world revolution in leapfrogging with international his doctrines. There is not a big passports. We do not rape anyone. difference between pretensions to We only seduce. world domination and pretensions to world revolution. The national In a big house where everyone has a socialist does not require world separate apartment, the role of the domination, he does not measure man who is responsible for the the skull of his neighbor, he does not whole house is diminished. The role need massacres. The philosophy of of world institutions like the United national socialism is the philosophy Nations and UNESCO ought to

7 decrease. The United Nations is Rutskoi and had played the main the same old Communist part in a popular musical, A Cruel ~te~tional, today transforming Romance, which featured a gypsy Itself mto the world's policeman. Why do we need policemen and vocal group. world courts? We should The nationalism now professed coope!ate with our neighbors, by Zhirinovsky is a renewed, more establish regional institutions "fashionable" nationalism designed with them, and let someone else to attract as many people as possible: worry about Somalia. (p. 24) ''Many years ago, I came to understand Among Zhirinovsky's kitsch that the old, ignorant nationalism devices we also find harsh allusions repels people. Russian nationalism as well as picturesque metaphors: should be modem, intellectual, "Politics is a bang on the forehead, aggressive, and fashionable. Russian a stroke on the knee, spitting and nationalism should never develop hot kisses, winking, whispering, into extremism, because extreme and howling. If a politician is one nationalism leads to death. dimensional and can only pound on Nationalism is a fire, but one should the table with his fist, then he should be able to manage a fire so that it go to work as a bouncer or, let's say, doesn't become a conflagration" return to his beloved air-force unit" (p. 69). The origin of this kind (p. 125). This is undoubtedly an of nationalism, according to allusion to Aleksandr Rutskoi, a Zhirinovsky, lies with Ilya Glazunov (1930- ), a Russian artist who former military pilot who served in specializes in historic and patriotic the Russian Air Force during the themes. Glazunov's "chauvinism" Afghan war, was a vice-president in I argues Zhirinovsky, "was tied to the Yeltsin regime, and was a major be~g clea:'-shaven, wearing fancy participant in the abortive 1993 coup. foreign SUits, and smoking Marlboros. Zhirinovsky pokes fun at Rutskoi He irritated the 'patriot-nativists' more directly in an article entitled with his open-mindedness and "The Caucasian Factor in the October Western stylishness" (p. 69). Revolution." Exaggerating the support Zhirinovsky portrays the author that Chechens gave to Ruslan Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who offended Khasbulato\j the former chairman of him by calling him a "caricature of the Supreme Soviet, he writes: patriotism," as a representative of the "Khasbulatov relied not only on his old, unfashionable nationalism: powerful apparat but also on the assistance of thousands of his fellow Look, a man with a //patriotic" tribesmen-hot-tempered and beard, in a Leo Tolstoy-style shirt. He speaks about the //moans and pugnacious guys. They would shield shouts of the Russian people." him with their own breasts. And who And what a biography! Isn't he a would bring Rutskoi to Moscow? good candidate for president? His brother, a militiaman, and three Who knows, he might take some buddies from his regiment ... Or votes. away from Zhirinovsky. Nikita Mikhalkov with a chorus of And 1f he IS not a candidate for gypsies" (p. 133). Nikita Mikhalkov president, then he is a spiritual teacher of the people, a guru. He is a popular film-maker and director will stir up trouble and restore of the award-winning movie Burnt the patriotism that was the good by the Sun. He was a close friend of old darling of the West and of

8 members of the former Central chocolate bars, but the mining of big Committee of the Communist deposits and the building of big Party-beloved horses, birch trees, factories" (p. 40). manure, bast shoes, and an eternal Conducting a hypothetical repentance of all in all! And no aggressiveness! God forbid that we argument with his erstwhile ally tell the foreign world that we Limonov, Zhirinovsky uses the demand our own, fair piece of familiar form for "you" (ty), and the common pie. This is addresses him in a very trusting, "zhirinovshchina, a caricature." comradelike tone--something Whole generations have grown up between that of Russian for whom Solzhenitsyn is something revolutionaries and that of working antiquarian. These generation:>, which went through the f1lth people: "Look, Eduard, where are all of perestroika, understand my the candidates for Russian president aggression. They also want to get in the 1991 campaign except for what they deserve. They don't want Yeltsin and Zhirinovsky? On the bast shoes and manure, they want big political stage, there aren't any French suits and Spanish wines. For others. Who can recall their political them, patriotism is not expressed in programs? No one." And he presents a style of clothes, but in traveling through life in first-class cabins. (p. himself as having an appeal for 129) homeless people: "Yesterday in a public market a homeless man came This attitude toward Solzhenitsyn up to me and, having explained that did not prevent Zhirinovsky from he had just been freed from a labor borrowing some of Solzhenitsyn's camp, he said: 'I watched you on TV ideas, including that of dividing before I was put in the slammer. You the country into gubernias (the were right in what you said about prerevolutionary provinces) only, the gubernias. There shouldn't be any instead of into gubernias and gubernias.' Would a homeless man republics. recognize Bakatin, would he recall In the article "Young Wolves," any point from his former political named after a well-known movie program? Never" (p. 30). with which Zhirinovsky completely Zhirinovsky's literary style also identifies himself, he says of the "new includes frequent resorts to a sort of wolves" (i.e., the "new Russians"): "affected democratism." The reach of "My personality is exactly like theirs. his imagination includes fantastic At the dawn of perestroika, I started pictures of his future, and of him my own career in politics as they did consoling President Yeltsin after he in business. I worked my way up loses his position-obviously to from small groups that gathered in Zhirinovsky himself. This picture is dubious apartments to victory in painted in the tradition of Russian Russia's parliamentary elections." working-class drinking culture: He goes on to assert that he is going "to help these guys. I will not But when B. N. Yeltsin is no longer strangle them with taxes. I will allow president and wh~n all his f'?llowers them to have guns to repel the abandon him, havmg held him accountable for all of the collapses, attacks of bandits. I will force the just as Gorbachev was left by his state to protect them, but most "demfriends," I will be the one to importantly, I'll give them serious show up at Yeltsin's house w~th a business-not spirits, vodka, and kilogram of Antonov apples m a

9 sack and a bottle of vodka, and Kohl down to his undershorts. Kohl we will drink without fail, and I'll would get very trim and would be sure to ask him why he did not switch to a diet of rice gruel" (pp. come to take part in the TV debates between the presidential 70-71). 1hls reference to "rice gruel" candidates on 10 July 1991, when would surely remind Russians of I wanted so much to administer a Lenin's satirical description of Leo beating to him. Shakhrai won't Tolstoy's having become a vegetarian. come, and Nechaev won't call. In his article, "Leo Tolstoy As a But I will come because I respect Mirror of the Russian Revolution," the people who elected this which Zhirinovsky, like every other president in 1991 and who did Russian, had to learn by heart in not elect me. I'll go because I hope that when I feel bad someone will school, Lenin quotes the great writer also come to see me with a sack of as proclaiming, "I don't eat meat any apples and vodka. (p. 34) longer, I feed myself with rice balls." In kitsch, the division between Zhirinovsky's favorite literary propaganda and entertainment can device is hyperbole; his inclination become extremely vague: "Propaganda to exaggerate everything brings to can sometimes masquerade as mind the Renaissance vitality of cultural entertainment, and, Rabelais' Pantagruel and Gargantua. conversely, entertainment can be 1hls love of big numbers provokes directed toward subtle manipulative some anxiety. For example, goals."18 The convergence between Zhirinovsky recently suggested that propaganda and entertainment can the staff of the KGB be increased to be seen in this passage from the a million men, which led a reporter prologue to Zhirinovsky's latest for Literaturnaya gazeta to comment, book, in which he excoriates many "It is not impossible that by the of the main figures on the political parliamentary elections he will come scene: up with the slogan: 'One Chekist for every Russian!"' ("Chekist" is A cold November night. .. the Yaroslav train station is almost the common Russian name for a deserted. In the dark, a heavy member of the secret police.) He gray snow is falling. added, "Well, given the current With the hoarse whistle of the absence of limits on criminal diesel locomotive, the Moscow behavior [ugolovnyi bespredel], there Anadyr train is on its way.... There might be more than a few supporters ,17 are no friends and family on the o f such an appea1 . platform; no one wanted to see Another characteristic of these passengers off. Who are Zhirinovsky's writing is the noticeable they anyhow, these night travelers? Let's imagine ourselves influence of Lenin's style on it. He in the last car. Who's that fellow wrote, for example: "Just for the curled up on the foldout board sake of the unification of Germany, that serves as a bed, right at the I would have stripped Chancellor door? The window doesn't let

17 Literaturnaya gazeta, 6 September 1995. 18 Matei Calinescu, Five Faces of Modernity (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1977), 235-36.

10 in enough light to recognize him. Bourgeois and grabs everything.... Ah, look! It's the blotched reformer In the next compartment, folks are Mikhail Sergeevich (Gorbachev), stuffed in like sardines. They're who was able to "get started" and personages with aliases rather than then "become profound" so well names: "Shakhrai," "Chubais," that Mother Russia is lying prone to "Burbulis." The first, moving his this day. This Nobel Prize-winning cockroach whiskers, led the tractor driver, the political Charles Transcaucasus to the bloody abyss; Manson, managed to rape a great the second, the carrot-topped nation. Do the bloody boys of swindler, merely sold Petropavlovsk Sumgait, Thilisi, and VIlnius appear Fortress, and then for a long time in his dreams? Where's his made fools of the Russian people pompous spouse now, that Suslov-in-a-skirt? Is he sorry that he with his colored papers, the couldn't keep the billions which vouchers with which he tried to sell flowed in from German the country to red-headed foreign reunification and which were put swindlers. The third, formerly a into circulation by the Gorbachev professor of scientific communism, Foundation? Didn't he want, like was, as it turns out, always a Judas, to hang himself on the nearest dissident, and just as soon as they let tree after his betrayal of the very him, he started nagging away about party that had nurtured him, a the use of democracy for one's snake, on her own breast? Mikhail health.... Sergeevichissilentawhile,with steely eyes he observes the passing It's terrible to move about this village stations.... coach-the farther you go, the more monsters you run into. The Satanist Who's the fatso who takes up the Yakunin in a black camouflage robe, whole compartment with his the Siamese twins Nemtsov and stomach? At the sound of that Yavlinsky, the witches Bonner and familiar little oink we recognize the Gerber, the flustered toads delirious economist Yegorushka Starovoitova and Novodvorskaia, Gaidar. What's this terrible, pudgy the moneybag Gavriil Popov, the boy mumbling about in the pseudo-generals, bearded preachers, darkness? Did he ever for an instant Parisian novelist-homosexuals (an believe in his mumblings? If he did, then was it while he was working allusion to Eduard Limonov), for the journal Kommunist or was it comedian-prostitutes, and in October 1933, when he was journalists who roll the letter r. summoning drowsy Muscovites to A wax museum! Apparitions of crush the "red-brown serpent"? Hieronymus Bosch! Who's that sitting in the last compartment? You "Here sits the Naughty One, can't make him out because it's dark gobbling and rejoicing"-p oor and because you no longer have the grandpa Arkadii, was it on your strength to look. Shoo, you devil!... own future grandson that you And what's outside the window? modeled the portrait of the fat Fields, forests, rivers, cities, traitor, selling the motherland "for a villages-Russia!... How, Mother jar of jam and a box of cookies" [za Russia, did you allow these tyrants banku varen'ya i korobku pechen'ya]? to rule, starve, destroy, and rape How much did the Naughty One you? Fyodor Mikhailovich steal from the people? From some he (Dostoevsky)! Perhaps you had took two thousand, from others he devils in your time, but they were took five. People saved up, hoping little devil babies compared to the that they'd have some kind of ones in this coach, the Last Coach to security. But no! In comes Yegor the the North. (pp. 7-9)

11 nus passage is not the only ash fell on her breast, right on her literary effort of Zhirinovsky. He also nipple."20 included in the same book a fictional In the tale, the former Afghan tale of his own, with an investigator, soldier and the local racketeer give two veterans of the Afghan war, a speeches on the need "to issue strict great deal of sex, and a certain orders" and to exact "merciless amount of mayhem (three corpses in revenge." However, the protagonist, sixty pages). It is also quite kitschy, the other veteran, disagrees. but not as colorful or anywhere near Militiamen have regular orgies in as funny as the prologue. It is apartments temporarily vacated by unlikely that this story was written their owners. nus turns out to be by Zhirinovsky himself, for it is quite fatal for some, because a cunning devoid of the "torrent" [poliv] that and gloomy character who has gone constitutes a distinctive feature of his on vacation has left behind in his style.19 refrigerator a vodka bottle filled with The kitsch in this tale is of a poison. trivial sort. Love is usually described The most likely author of the in a very sexist manner: "Once, late story is a "graphomaniac" in at night, Potekhin pounced on Lena Zhirinovsky's circle or a former on the little bed in the outpatient Komsomol and military scribbler office. He was tom apart with lust." whose product is no longer in "He pulled off the ring road into a demand and who traded the story to grove of trees, jumped out of the car, a member of the Duma in exchange and pounced on his own lawful for certain services. In any case, a wife right there under the birches. person with normat rather than She whimpered about her new perverse, taste would do everything dress and about a proper bed, but possible to prevent something like he was in no condition to think this from being published under his about such things."" A length of name.

19 The same is true of another recently published book, Spit on the West, written under Zhirinovsky's name and containing many historical examples of mutual misunderstanding between Russia and the West. Apart from the title and some brief passages, much of the book seems to have been ghostwritten. This reference to the West is probably one of his contributions: "Well, they are not able to judge us fairly, given their analytical approach, because they unwittingly judge us 5y their own standards. To nell with them! The less we act, the fewer errors we'll make! We don't need each other very much. We need the raw materials for ourselves, and as for the rest (the so-called 'culture,' etc.), we would rather not deal with them. To hell with them-and that's it." Quoted in Mezhdunarodnaya gazeta, 34 (1995): 15. 20 Zhirinovsky, Poslednii vagon na sever, (197, 217, 191). Unfortunately, the full kitschiness of the style does not come through in English ("literary kitsch is almost always untranslataole"-G. Dorfles, ed., Kitsch: An Anthology ofBad Taste fLondon, 1969j, 35.) Here is the Russian original: "KaK-TO my6oKHM seqepoM IIoreXIm 3aJKaJI lleey Ha IcyiiieTKe B rrpon;e,uypHoH. C rono,IJYXH narmzyno." "OH csepiiyJI c KOJibn;eson .n.oporn B necoK, 6pocm1 Mannmy n 3IDKa.JI 3aKOfiYl cynpyry npm.ro no.n; 6epe3KaMH. 0Ha memana npo HOBoe IIJiaTI>e, npo KpOBaTh, on 6e3YMCTBosan." ",Il,JIHmii>m nerren ynan en Ha rpY)l.b, np.sMo na cocoK"

12 In recent memory, leading proposition seems quite appropriate politicians, namely, Leonid Brezhnev, to the caption of the first picture: '1 had works such as The Little Land have thought for a long time about and Revival written for them; now the mechanism of state power. What they buy The Last Coach to the North are its components?"; "I have an instead. understanding of the most intricate issues"; and '1've known the world Kitsch in pictures well enough to have the scope one Perhaps politics is always kitsch should possess in order to lead a to some extent, but bad or totalitarian political party."24 This first politics is kitsch to a particularly photograph contains a detail worthy great extent.21 In this respect, of particular attention: the LDPR's Zhirinovsky is a kitsch artist two enormous coat of arms, an eagle times over. There is no question that surrounded by rays of the sun and his politics are quite dangerous. At flying over a map of a Russia that the same time, although he pretends includes Alaska, Poland, and to be a future dictator, he looks, as a Finland. 25 Hanging above foreign reporter has said, "like a Zhirinovsky's armchair in his office, comic opera dictator, more Charlie it looks more like an American Chaplin than Adolf Hitler."22 In this corporate emblem- that of, say, connection, it is interesting to the Harley Davidson motorcycle examine the photographs, and the company-than the state emblem captions attached to them, that of the Russian Empire. While appear in the appendix of Plekhanov's pretending to be very Russian and book. The photos were probably very nationalist, and declaring his approved by Zhirinovsky, and the attachment to high moral, cultural, captions, like the text, are unabashed and patriotic values, Zhirinovsky is apologias. There are 46 of them (in really displaying a type of consumer the expanded edition). The first 8 political culture. show Zhirinovsky's family and his The absurd grandiloquence of youth; the next 24, Zhirinovsky certain captions such as "Before a himself in different parts of Russia; meeting" and "Thinking about and the last 14, his foreign contacts Russia's destiny" sounds like and his comrades-in-arms. something one might find in a book At least one commentator has on Brezhnev published in the early suggested that the word "kitsch" 1980s. The principal law of kitsch, comes from the Russian verb the "law of aesthetic inadequacy," kichit'sya, which means "to be is at work in this tasteless junk. haughty and puffed up."23 This Calinescu has argued that "we

21 Dorfles, Kitsch, 113. 22 Quoted in Solovyov and Klepikova, Zhirinovsky, 97. 23 Gilbert Highet, cited in Calinescu, Five Faces of Modernity, 235. 24 All photos discussed are located at the end of this paper immediately following the text. 25 This coat of arms is also reproduced in Solovyov and Klepikova, Zhirinovsky, 97.

13 may well speak of kitsch effects in is a wholesome, noble, and dangerous connection with combinations or business." arrangements of objects that, taken The caption for photo number individually, have absolutely nothing five is: " ... less heroism... If everyone kitschy about them,"26 and indeed sacrifices his life, who will be left we can note the strong kitsch effect to live in our country?" Boris of the photographs and captions Kagarlitsky has commented that taken as a whole, even if in some of this "sounds almost like Brecht's them Zhirinovsky does not look dictum: 'Unhappy is the land that particularly "puffed up." has need of heroes."'28 Actually, the In the next photo, Zhirinovsky is similarity is only superficiat for shown seated on a camel. The the form is quite different. Brecht caption is: "I had already begun to referred to "the land" in the third elaborate upon my own geopolitical person, whereas Zhirinovsky's concept. I don't want to give it my caption speaks of "our country." The name, so I won't say, 'Zhirinovsky's element of kitsch is particularly formula,' instead I'll call it 'the last evident from the photograph itself, dash to the south,' gaining access which depicts Zhirinovsky with his to the Indian Ocean and the hat off near a military tomb, with a Mediterranean Sea, this is truly the guard in the background holding a way to save the Russian nation."27 machine gun. During the Soviet Zhirinovsky's kitsch style mixes period, such pictures were typically self-aggrandizement with extreme accompanied by captions with just banality. He apparently believes that the opposite message. banalities become profundities when In photograph number six, he utters them. The caption for photo we see Zhirinovsky standing by a number three is: "Finally, the goal of map of the world with a foolish every policy is the happiness of a expression on his face that makes concrete man... To make people happy his lips look trumpetlike. The caption and not to awaken their hatred." The is of the sort that Limonov called phrase "to make people happy" is "Zhirinovsky's international reminiscent of the well-known dreams," in which Russian soldiers poster in which a group of Pioneers stand on the shores of the Indian is shown addressing Stalin with the Ocean and are met with flowers by words "Thank you, Comrade Stalin, the local inhabitants. Limonov says for our happy childhood." Photo that Zhirinovsky "poeticizes, number four is a fine bit of kitsch art, borrowing everything either from though with an ominous message. In Napoleon or from Ostap Bender"29 it, Zhirinovsky is holding a rifle, and (or, I would add, from Alexander the the caption is: "I think that politics Great), and he offers an alternative

26 Calinescu, Five Faces of Modernity, 232, 236. 27 The Last Dash to the South is the title of an earlier book of Zhirinovsky's: Poslednii brusok na yug (Moscow: RAIT, 1993). 28 Kagarlitsky, Restoration in Russia, 67. 29 Umonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 159.

14 caption: "The Russian soldiers are and other genuine Russian patriots. marching on the ocean shores; Even his style turns out to have a lot Zhirinovsky, like Phantomas, in common with that of the rock star emerges onto the surface of the water and LDPR member Sergei Zharikov. 30 in a submarine." Phantomas is a He has also stolen a great deal from character in a series of French black Limono"' which is one reason that comedies about a masked criminal Limonov titled one of his articles who appears everywhere at a critical about Zhirinovsky, "To Catch a moment, causes trouble, and then Thief." Nor, as Lim.onov has put it, vanishes with the trademark line, does he really have a great talent for "Ha-ha-ha, I am Phantomas." self-advertisement.34 The "Kitsch Man" It must be said, rather, that Zhirinovsky was simply fortunate to What particularly makes have entered the public arena at a Zhirinovsky a phenomenon of kitsch moment when the common people is above all the element of falseness. were temporarily blind, a moment A false aesthetic consciousness or, to when the lifelong bureaucrats, the paraphrase Theodor Adorno, a Skalozubs (named for the stupid parody of aesthetic consciousness,31 appears everywhere in Zhirinovsky's colonel of Griboedov's comedy, Woe from Wit), had begun to be replaced work. As the examples above 35 indicate, the very political content of by the newcomers, the Khlestakovs, Zhirinovsky's texts and pictures and some of the old nomenklatura becomes kitsch when it masquerades were trying to use the new arrivals for as high culture?2 In his writings, their own ends. If Zhirinovsky is a everything is transformed into genius of anything, he is a genius of superficial emotions and hedonistic theft, of the pilfering of everything witticisms, all of it in poor taste. from everyone. The unconcealed Nevertheless, to call Zhirinovsky impudence of his theft astounds a "genius of kitsch"33 is certainly an the observer; Limonov says "the overestimation. As a kitsch artist, plagiarism is way too visible," and Zhirinovsky is weak, neither that Zhirinovsky is "made from independent nor original. The ideas different pieces, like a patchwork he expresses are merely vulgarized quilt."36 The genuine "kitsch artist" versions of those invented by should be eclectic, and Zhirinovsky Solzhenitsyn, Vladimir Maksimov, certainly is that.

30 Limonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 183. 31 Theodor W. Adorno, Aesthetische Theorie (Frankfurt am Main: Suhkamp, 1970), 355. 32 Calinescu, Five Faces of Modernity, 231. 33 Solovyov and Klepikova, Zhirinovsky, 164. 34 Lirnonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 16, 36, 122. 35 See Grigorii Pomerants, "Smena tipazhei na avanstsene istorii i etnicheskie sdvigi," Obshchestvennye nauki i sovremennost', 1990, no. 1. 36 Limonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 37, 161.

15 In addition, Zhirinovsky is a them cattle. The commercial spiteful and mediocre person, a inclinations of Zhirinovsky, whom Russian redneck, "the sort of person Limonov has compared to a gypsy who cuts into line," "the director of a selling a bad horse, are displayed in food depot. "37 And that makes hlrn a the following jokes: perfect "kitsch man" as well. A Yeltsin says to Zhirinovsky, "You genuine "kitsch artist" should be a know, I was offered $5,000 for my true "kitsch man." "The kitsch man resignation. What would you wants to fill his spare time with advise me to do?" maximum excitement... in exchange "Ask for more," Zhirinovsky for minimum effort. For him the replies. ideal is effortless enjoyment."38 That's exactly what Zhirinovsky wants. He himself admits that he never "had a strong inclination for "Why aren't you getting science and the humanities," where married?" diligence and hard work are needed.39 "Well, you know, my boyfriend, Zhirinovsky makes heavy use of Zhirinovsky, is a politician. He can only promiseJle doesn't the big lie, but he does it in such a follow through." 4 way that people don't believe him. In the West, they get frightened, but Conclusion in Russia they laugh. Both reactions are good for publicity, because in How long are the incredible the West, people talk most about adventures of Ostap Volfovich going politicians who are dangerous, and to last? Not much longer, I believe. in Russia, they talk most about As far back as 1991, one observer politicians who are amusing. ventured to suggest the possibility In any case, Zhirinovsky's that "Zhirinovsky will disappear as popularity is on the decline. There is unexpectedly as he has appeared" not sufficient space here to discuss though he added, pessimistically, that "this kind of position is never the social and political reasons for 41 this decline, but let me illustrate it empty." This paper was with a couple of the most recent written in order not only to jokes about Zhirinovsky. These jokes encourage Zhirinovsky to leave demonstrate that his political politics but also to keep this reputation has been compromised. position empty-to help people Simple people are sensitive enough who support such figures become to understand when people consider aware of their unfortunate mistakes

37 Limonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 184, 180. 38 Calinescu, Five Faces of Modernity, 259. 39 Zhirinovsky, Poslednii brosok na yug, 48. 40 Anekdoty i tasty (Voronezh, 1995). 41 Leonid Radzikhovsky, "Pessimisticheskaya komediya", Ogonyok,37 {1991): 16-17.

16 and to abandon their dangerous Volfovich, generally Russian life is illusions. quiet and suppressed, but all of a I am quite convinced that sudden even the most inoffensive Zhirinovsky himself will facilitate old lady will get fed up and she this process. He will do something will beat you over the head with that will overwhelm everyone, her handbag, and then the men will that will be recognized as crazy join in ... and you, having been even by Russia's lax political beaten, will be sent to the very end standards. He'll be flogged by of the line; you won't get a thing, someone, he'll be sued for having you'll count yourself lucky just to survive."44 Admittedly, Duma sex with underage boys, or he'll deputy Ttshkovskaya isn't an "old break his neck during one of his lady," but she did hit him during a frequent drinking sprees. Or, more parliamentary session.45 likely, someone will publish Then again, perhaps he will documents showing that Zhirinovsky 42 simply leave the Russian political was a lifelong KGB agent. Whatever arena on his own (along with the exact circumstances will be, his 43 Yeltsin). As for us, we will marvel reputation will burst like a bubble. at the fact that we took him seriously He will be expelled from Russian for so long. We still have a chance politics as he was expelled from to come to our senses now, before it Turkey for Communist propaganda, happens, so that we won't have to and from democratic circles because exclaim, as Gogol's mayor did: of suspicion that he was an agent of "How could I, how could I? I've the KGB. been such a fool. Look, look, all the Indeed, one of the ominous world, all Christianity, everybody! predictions about Zhirinovsky has Look what a fool I've been. To take already come true in a sense. that nincompoop for a man of Drawing the parallel between the importance. What first put all this way Zhirinovsky fights for the nonsense about the inspector general presidency and the way an arrogant into my head? Nothing! Did that idiot person cuts ahead of people in a look like one? But all of a sudden cafeteria line, Limonov warned everyone began buzzing, 'The Zhirinovsky: "You know, Vladimir inspector! The inspector's here!'"

42 A statement that Zhirinovsky obtained from the KGB declaring that he was not an employee of the security agency is definitely full of a disarnling kitschy charm, but can hardly assure anyone. 43 To cite yet another character in Russian literature, we may note the fate of Governor Ugrium-Burcheev: "There was a resounding craCk and the former hangman vanished instantly, melted into thin air." Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, "A History of a Town," in The Chronicle of Foolov, ed. ana trans!. Susan Brownsberger (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ardis, 198"2), 173. 44 Limonov, Limonov protiv Zhirinovskogo, 182. 45 "Zharkie diskussii v Gosudarstvennoi Durne", Novoe Russkoe Slovo, 11 September 1995.

1. "I have thought a long time about the mechanism of state power. What are its components? I have an understanding of the most intricate issues. I've known the world well enough to have the scope one should possess in order to lead a political party."

Note: All photographs are from S. Plekhanov, Zhirinovsky: Kto On? (Evraziya-Nord, 1994)

i ...

2. "I had already begun to elaborate upon my own geopolitical concept. I don't want to give it my name, so I won't say, 'Zhirinovsky's Formula,' instead I'll call it the 'last dash to the south,' gaining access to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, this is truly the way to save the Russian nation."

ii 3. "Final!~ the goal of every policy is the happiness of a concrete man... To make people happy and not to awaken their hatred."

iii 4. "I thlnk that politics is a wholesome, noble, and dangerous business."

5. " .. .less heroism... If everyone sacrifices his life who will be left to live in our country?"

iv 6. "I see Russian soldiers preparing for this last dash to the south. I see Russian commanders at the headquarters of Russian divisions and armies, tracing itineraries and destinations for the movement of troop formations. I see aircraft at airbases in the southern districts of Russia. I see submarines surfacing off the shores of the Indian Ocean and launches approaching the shores along which Russian soldiers are already marching, along which armored personnel carriers and huge masses of tanks are moving. Finally, Russia completes its final military campaign."