The Court of Russian Public Opinion : Politics: Nationalist leader Zhirinovsky is suing reformist chief Gaidar for slander. Aside from the theatrics, the real issue is the 1996 elections.

Some day soon, the bad boy of Russian politics, ultranationalist Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky, and the good boy, reform economist Yegor T. Gaidar, will lock horns in the courtroom in an epic battle of darkness and light.

But for now, they are playing hide-and-seek.

“Yegorushka! Yegorushka!” Zhirinovsky called--using the affectionate diminutive of Yegor to increase the mockery--as he pretended to look around for Gaidar on Wednesday at Moscow City Court.

“He’s afraid,” Zhirinovsky concluded.

That is much what Gaidar said of Zhirinovsky when the raspy-voiced populist failed to show up at their last court date. At issue is Zhirinovsky’s claim of 500 million rubles (about $250,000) from Gaidar for calling him a fascist and worse in print. Zhirinovsky hates to be called a fascist, even though some of his views--on Russian nationalism and military strength--fit the dictionary definition.

But the real issue goes deeper.

Zhirinovsky’s pandering promises of everything from cheap vodka to the return of the Russian empire captured the biggest share of voter support in December’s parliamentary elections, raising the grim specter that Russia’s next president could be a man with territorial ambitions and an erratic nature.

While President Boris N. Yeltsin has remained largely silent on Zhirinovsky, Gaidar and his pro-reform party, now known as the Democratic Choice of Russia, have borne the brunt of the fight to persuade Russians that they should not succumb to facile promises of law, order and easy money.

The Gaidar-Zhirinovsky faceoff symbolizes the probable choice Russian voters will face in the 1996 elections--whether they will opt for ugly truths and difficult reforms or pretty promises and a regime likely to smack of dictatorship.

In past weeks, there have been indications that Zhirinovsky’s support might be flagging, but he has mounted a new cavalcade of scandals lately to regain the limelight.

Most recently, he reportedly took over the office of the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region--a young reformist star, Boris Nemtsov--and claimed that Nemtsov had hidden in another office for fear of meeting him. Adding to the unsavory incident were reports from Nemtsov’s staff that about $50 went missing after the visit.

Zhirinovsky was also refused access this week to Arzamas-16, a formerly secret city of atomic-bomb builders that still requires special permission for entry.

But on Wednesday, he and his Liberal Democratic Party of Russia were given permission to rent a choice building in central Moscow in a move that hinted at support among city authorities.

Ready to kick up as big a fuss as he could manage, Zhirinovsky arrived at Moscow City Court on Wednesday morning with his usual bevy of young male backers and bodyguards in flashy, double-breasted jackets.

He never got the chance to make his case in court, because Gaidar’s lawyer had sent a request asking that the hearing be delayed.

But, as usual, Zhirinovsky made his case on the street amid a crowd of supporters and press.

“How are we fascists?” he demanded in his hectoring, rapid-fire style. “Did we kill anyone, deprive anyone of work, deprive anyone of freedom, what did we do? We’re an opposition party.”

The last time a court date was set, June 14, Gaidar came and Zhirinovsky did not--he had withdrawn the suit, only to renew it days later. This time it was the other way around; the next time, set for July 7, probably Gaidar will show up and Zhirinovsky will not, Zhirinovsky predicted.