Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Russian politician, a nationalist whose party won nearly a quarter of the vote in the December 1993 elections. He considers 4/15/1967 as the beginning of his active political life when he was writing of reforms. With his lectures, he draws university attention to social problems. Born in a Jewish family, he changed his name at age 18. He was a baby when his dad died, and his mom remarried, having more kids that left little time for him. Though he gives different stories and variations of his history, Zhirinovsky recalls a childhood of misery, loneliness and acute poverty, with no warmth, tenderness or attention. He writes that he has normal relations with his own wife and son but no passion, as that all goes toward political change. Zhirinovsky became a lawyer and studied different languages. He has always mixed with foreigners and foreign cultures as well as traveling much in the Soviet Union. His goal is for Russia to take over large swaths of territory in Europe and Asia, "a last thrust south." He feels that Hitler's ideas were "not that bad," and that he would eject non-Russian minorities from his country. After 15 years in government agencies, Zhirinovsky founded the Liberal Democrat Party in 1990. His opponents call him a fascist. Seeing Russian expansion as a solution to world problems, he notes that "fear makes people work," and declares that he will be a dictator as national leader, prepared to shoot 100,000 if need be to make peace. Link to Wikipedia biography