Vladimir Zhirinovsky Obituary
Russian ultra-nationalist politician whose daring actions and appeals for “new assertiveness” influenced Putin. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a seasoned ultra-nationalist and Russian political showman who prophesied the invasion of Ukraine practically to the day died at the age of 75.
Zhirinovsky, who led the far-right Liberal Democratic Party for 30 years, was branded “Russia’s Trump” by some for his ideological beliefs, which included calls for the reconquest of former Soviet republics and the use of nuclear weapons against countries such as Japan and Britain. He’d been at Covid-19’s critical care unit since early February.
In announcing his death, Russia’s parliament speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, hailed Zhirinovsky “a brilliant, creative politician” and “a guy who truly grasped how the world works and predicted many things.”
For three decades as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Zhirinovsky was famed for delivering impassioned pronouncements that were neither liberal nor democratic and were usually delivered with a furious gaze.
He called for Russia to retake control of Alaska from the United States, urged that Russia use a nuclear weapon to attack former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s mansion, and stated he wanted a DNA test to check whether he was connected to Donald Trump.
While Zhirinovsky portrayed a wild character, many regarded him as a domesticated one who was obedient to the Kremlin. In parliament, his party frequently voted to approve proposals proposed by President Vladimir Putin’s power base, the more stalwart United Russia party.
As the Soviet Union began to disintegrate, Zhirinovsky created the Liberal Democrats, which became the country’s first legally recognized opposition party. According to later sources, its inception was a KGB effort intended at redirecting real opposition sentiment into ineffective channels.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky Cause of Death
Zhirinovsky died after “a serious and extended illness,” according to State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. On February 2, the legislator was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19; in late March, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed Zhirinovsky was “in bad condition.”
He also stated that he has gotten eight COVID-19 doses since August 2020.
