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Russian Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Ephemera: a finding aid

Folders 2..5 - Gennadii Ziuganov. KPRF

Booklets - 1

The booklet is entitled "Moi obiazannosti pered grazhdanami Rossiii" / Мои обязанности перед гражданами России ('My responsibilities to the citizens of Russia') Ziuganov's candidacy is endorsed by academician Vladimir I. Kashin. Separate material is entitled "Vmeste s Ziuganovym vozrodim Podmoskov'e" / Вместе с Зюгановым – возродим Подмосковье ('Together with Ziuganov, [we] will revive the Moscow region'). The booklet has multiple color photographs.

Cards - 1

The card is issued in commemoration of "Den' Sovetskoi Armii" / День Советской Армии ('Soviet Army Day'), a Soviet era holiday celebrated on February 23. The contemporary name of the holiday is Den' zashchitnika Otechestva / День защитника Отечества ('Defender of the Fatherland Day'). In the past such cards were sent to veterans on state holidays by various veteran organizations as well as by municipal authorities.

Flyers - 1

The flyer is an announcement of the website of the KPRF Moscow region www.moskprf.ru which followed the presidential elections results in real time on the night of March 4-5.

Leaflets - 1

The leaflet materials endorse Ziuganov as a person possessing the most valued qualities of a citizen and patriot; he is endorsed by academician Zhores Alferov, Admiral Vladimir Komoedov, and producer Vladimir Bortko. The leaflet has multiple color photographs.

Newspapers - 9

Russkaia gazeta / Русская газета ('Russian Gazette') a tabloid dated February 2012, with no print run provided, is the newspaper of the "Russkaia Partiia" / Русская Партия ('Russian Party'), which traditionally supports Ziuganov at elections. The materials include:

  • An appeal to the voters from the leadership of the party to vote against liberal tendencies in politics;
  • A biography of Ziuganov in which the candidate is presented as a true Russian patriot; - Biographies of the other presidential candidates with criticisms of their political programs; personal information (for example, nationality, affiliations, as well as some events in their lives) is presented in a way disadvantageous to the candidates;
  • An article by Natalia Iur'evna Chernyshova, about the mechanisms of control over the government "Narodnyi kontrol' - kliuch k narodovlastiiu" / Народный контроль – ключ к народовластию ('Peoples' control [of the authorities] - the key to peoples' power')
  • An advertisement for the party with a sample membership application form.

The information bulletin "Pora!" / Пора! ('It's time!') from the Irkutsk region is a tabloid with a print run of 350,000, dated February 10, 2012. The editorial "Ne nado raspyliat' golosa!" / Не надо распылять голоса! ('Votes should not be split!') calls for consolidating votes for Ziuganov as the only real alternative to Putin. A pictorial review "Protestnoe dvizhenie v strane narastaet" / Протестное движение в стране нарастает ('The opposition movement in the country is on the rise') is about a rally on February 4 in Irkutsk against election falsifications. The material entitled "Zakrytie BTsBK - ocherednoi blef pravitel'stva Rossii" / Закрытие БЦБК – очередной блеф правительства России ('Closing BTsBK - another tall tale of the Russian government') is a call to finally close the plant which led to irreversible environmental degradation of Lake Baikal / озеро Байкал region. The cellulose and paper manufacturing plant "Baikal'skii tselliulozno-bumazhnyi kombinat" / «Байкальский целлюлозно-бумажный комбинат» has been controversial ever since its construction in 1963, because it is a major source of pollution for Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake.

Materials in both issues of the tabloid Podmoskovnaia pravda / Подмосковная правда ('Pravda of the Moscow Region'), dated January 26, 2012 and February 9, 2012, with print runs of 500,000 and 550,000 respectively, concentrate on the opposition of KPRF and Ziuganov to ER and Putin. Titles of the articles include "Ziuganovu - da! Putinu - net!" / Зюганову – да! Путину – нет! ('Ziuganov - yes! Putin - no!'), "Proshu ne schitat' menia Edinorossom!" / Прошу не считать меня Единороссом! ('Don't consider me an Edinoross' [i.e. a member of the Edinaia Rossiia party; this is a play on a World War II slogan, as well as on the Russian word "edinorog" 'unicorn'.]), , "Ziuganov pobedit vo vtorom ture!" / Зюганов победит во втором туре ('Ziuganov will win the second round'). The article signed by Viktor Trushkov, "Gimn burzhuaznogo litsemeriia" / ”Гимн буржуазного лицемерия ('The hymn of bourgeois hypocrisy') contains a harsh criticism of Putin's political program. Other articles: "7 prichin golosovat' za Ziuganova" / 7 причин голосовать за Зюганова ('7 reasons to vote for Ziuganov'), "Natsionalizatsiia - put' k vozrozhdeniiu!" / Национализация – путь к возрождению ('Nationalization - is the path to revival'), "Otechestvennyi proizvoditel' - zalog razvitiia!" / Отечественный производитель – путь к возрождению ('Domestic industry is the path to revival') , give a positive perspective of Ziuganov's plans. Both issues have multiple color photographs of Ziuganov in various settings. Noteworthy captions are: "Za Rossiui bez Putina!" / За Россию без Путина ('For Russia without Putin!'), "Spasem Rossiiu!" / Спасем Россию! ('Let's save Russia!').

Three issues of Pravda dated December 28, 2011 (print run 1,040,000), January 21, 2012 (print run 3,100,000) and February 16, 2012 (print run 3,155,000), form a series with each issue covering a particular topic as the subtitle of the newspaper. In chronological order:

  • "O zhizni G.A. Ziuganova" / О жизни Г.А.Зюганова ('About G.A. Ziuganov's life') - the only article in the issue is entitled "Patriot i kommunist" / Патриот и коммунист ('Patriot and Communist')
  • "O programme G. A. Ziuganova" / О программе Г.А.Зюганова ('G.A. Ziuganov's program')
  • "O komande G.A. Ziuganova" / О команде Г.А.Зюганова ('G. A. Ziuganov's team')

All three issues have multiple photographs of Ziuganov, his associates, as well as protest rallies. Noteworthy materials in the issue "O programme. . . " are

  • an analytical article on the December 2011 elections comparing official results vs. those expected by independent observers,
  • a photo review of the protests that took place after the Duma elections,
  • articles under the umbrella title "Rossiia trebuet peremen" / Россия требует перемен ('Russia demands changes') and a list of proposed government members,
  • an article in the form of a spreadsheet comparing the two political platforms of Ziuganov (projections) vs. Putin (accomplishments),
  • an article by Iurii Afonin entitled "Molodezh' bystro raskusila, ch'i ushi torchat iz-za spiny khamovatogo oligarkha" / Молодежь быстро раскусила, чьи уши торчат из-за спины хамоватого олигарха ('The youth quickly discovered whose ears are sticking out from behind the loutish oligarch') about the behind-the scene elections deals between Putin and Prokhorov.

The tabloid-sized information bulletin issue of Pravda Moskvy / Правда Москвы ('Moscow Pravda') is dated January 18, 2012, and has a print run of 1,500,000. The materials on eight pages are primarily of local interest. Some noteworthy materials include:

  • an analytical article on the lessons of the December 2011 Duma elections entitled "Na barrikadakh dumskikh vyborov" / На баррикадах думских выборов ('On the barricades of the Duma elections'),
  • an article "Ikh samyi nadezhnyi elektorat" / Их самый надежный электорат ('Their most dependable constituency') about the unusually high percentage of votes for ER in polling districts all over Russia that have psychiatric facilities,
  • a selection of political cartoons and jokes "from Ziuganov". The information bulletin "Levyi Marsh" / Левый марш )('Left Rally') of the Ul'ianovsk local organization of KPRF is dated February 20, 2012, with a print run of 200,000. Alongside materials of local interest, the issue has biographies of all the candidates with an emphasis on information discrediting each candidate except Ziuganov. Several materials address the failures of Putin as president.

Pocket calendars - 3

All three 2012 pocket calendars have the same design and carry the KPRF logo along with a color photograph of Ziuganov.

Posters - 1

The poster has a color photograph of Ziuganov. The background is a combination of symbols typical of the Soviet era. The caption reads, "4 marta my vybirem Ziuganova! Vlast' i sobstvennost' - narodu!"/ 4 марта мы выберем Зюганова! Власть и собственность – народу! ('On March 4 we will elect Ziuganov! Power and assets - [belong] to the people!').

Stickers - 4

All four stickers are of the same design - they carry the logo of KPRF along with a color photograph of Ziuganov. The captions vary; noteworthy is "Osvobozhu stranu ot zhulikov i vorov" / Освобожу страну от жуликов и воров ('[I] will rid the country of crooks and thieves'). Also noteworthy is the background of one sticker which shows a map of Russia within the boundaries of the USSR as it was until 1991.

Ticket/invitations - 1

The ticket is an invitation to a concert on February 29, 2012, in the Rossiia Concert Hall in Luzhniki / ГЦКЗ Россия в Лужниках in Moscow, which is sponsored by KPRF and entitled "Liubimye VIA. Nash adres -Sovetskii Soiuz" / Любимые ВИА. Наш адрес –Советский Союз ('Our address [is] the Soviet Union'). The title of the concert is a quote from a popular Soviet youth song of the 1970s "Nash adres - ne dom i ne ulitsa, nash adres - Sovetskii Soiuz" / Наш адрес – не дом и не улица, наш адрес – Советский Союз! ('Our address is not a [particular] apartment building or street, our address is the Soviet Union"') . The list of musical VIA groups has a definite sentimental appeal for the Russian generation of baby boomers. The abbreviation VIA stands for "vokal'no-instrumental'nyi ansambl'" / вокально-инструментальный ансамбль ('vocal and instrumental ensemble'). VIA groups used to be a rare deviation from the otherwise very strict list of allowed means of self-expression.