The Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) was established in 1989. In general, the party espouses nationalist and pro-Russian Empire ideas, holds an anti-immigration stance, and would like Russia to institute more protectionist policies.
According to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, during the 2007-2008 parliamentary and presidential elections cycle the party received approximately 8 percent of the vote for the Duma and 9 percent of the vote for president. The leader of the party and frequent presidential candidate is Vladimir Zhirinovskii, whose portrait appears on many party publications. During the 2002 election Zhirinovskii ran against Dmitrii Medvedev, but accepted the results of the election when his opponent won.
The LDPR and Zhirinovskii are prolific publishers of books, pamphlets, newspapers, and ephemera. To find the many books in the Library's collection written by Zhirinovskii or by LDPR, use the following terms to execute browse searches in the Library of Congress Online catalog:
In this election ephemera collection there are 15 items from the LDPR. In addition to the cataloged books, uncataloged newspapers, and the materials in this election ephemera collection, the Library of Congress also holds a growing collection of recent LDPR pamphlets, a collection of pamphlets from 1995-2001, and additional LDPR materials in other Russian election ephemera collections, such as the collection for the 2011-2012 elections which is described in detail in its own research guide. More details on these collections are available in the "Related Resources" section of the Introduction page. All of these collections are available in the European Reading Room.
Booklets from Zhirinovskii’s campaign include a photobook, opening with a short description of the candidate and followed by dozens of pages of pictures of Zhirinovskii with his family, public figures, and animals. Another deals with issues concerning Russia’s energy resources, and opens with a poem about how oil draws out humanity’s dark side. Others are emblazoned with Zhirinovskii’s two main slogans: “Uspokoiu vsekh!” (Успокою всех!/I will satisfy everyone!) and “Za vse otvetite!” ('За все ответите!' / ‘You will answer for everything!'). The latter slogan suggests impending comeuppance or payback, likely meant to be read as a threat against corrupt officials and criminals.
A slip of paper, unevenly cut but about the size of a business card. The paper serves as an invitation to an LDPR forum in Moscow.
Two postcard-style promotions for Zhirinovskii. One is for International Women's Day and features Zhirinovskii against a floral backdrop, looking tenderly into the camera. The other concerns Defender of the Fatherland Day, with a stern Zhirinovskii in martial dress, flanked by images of naval combat ships and fighter jets.
The collection contains four LDPR newspapers promoting Zhirinovskii's candidacy. One is presented as a manifesto, one as a special dispatch from the party’s conference, and two as numbered issues. The special dispatch marks the twentieth LDPR party conference by presenting the party's 1992 founding theses alongside an interview with Zhirinovskii on his sixteen years with the LDPR. Further on, this paper features a report on the 'Zhirinovskii Phenomenon' that also appears in the first numbered issue. The second numbered issue includes a column that details the party's support for the closure of British Council offices in Russia, and further asserts Margaret Thatcher's involvement in Perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union. A brief note complains of the disproportionate amount of mass media coverage that United Russia's candidate, Dmitrii Medvedev, is receiving relative to his main opponents, Ziuganov and Zhirinovskii. The paper claims that, in the first month of the presidential campaign, Medvedev was presented some 9220 times as the primary character of a story, compared to 982 times for Ziuganov and 872 for Zhirinovskii.
The collection contains one sticker with a blue background showcasing the slogan “Za vse otvetite!” ('За все ответите!' literally ‘You will answer for everything!') and Zhirinovskii's name in bright yellow lettering.
