Zhirinovsky Renews Wedding Vows to Woo Voters

Forget about the presidency. The bad boy of Russian politics, flamboyant nationalist Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky, appeared to have designs on the imperial throne Sunday as he kicked off his election campaign with a vodka-soaked public party.

Zhirinovsky, a hotheaded patriot and self-styled sex symbol, threw himself an extravagant bash to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary--and, not incidentally, to fish for votes in June’s presidential election.

Like the czars of old, Zhirinovsky swept up to a gold-domed church in a traditional Russian troika, or horse-drawn sleigh, as his aides tossed money to gaping onlookers. In a show of regal generosity, Zhirinovsky handed out sweet rolls and cups of vodka to hundreds who crammed the church courtyard despite the nose-numbing cold.

“It’s like czarist times!” 50-year-old Nikolai Aryevev said joyfully. “We must revive these czarist traditions. The presidency is a Western concept. We Russians need a strong leader, someone who will take charge and answer to the people.”

Zhirinovsky has certainly tried to project a take-charge image throughout his political career.

He’s talked of seizing Alaska back for the Russian empire, of blasting the rebellious republic of Chechnya with napalm and of deporting all bribe-taking bureaucrats to Siberia in cattle cars. This weekend, he threatened to invade Eastern Europe if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization embraces former Soviet Bloc countries.

“If NATO continues to expand to the east, a new world war will flare up in the beginning of the next millennium,” he huffed.

Zhirinovsky’s wild threats, raunchy rhetoric and outrageous antics have turned off many Russians, who regard him as an embarrassing buffoon.

“This whole event is a farce,” one woman said at the anniversary bash, though she joined the hordes craning to catch a glimpse.

But Zhirinovsky appeals to millions of voters with his staunch nationalism--especially his insistence that Russia can once again rise to intimidating greatness. His Liberal Democratic Party drew 11% of the vote in December’s parliamentary elections, second only to the Communists. Analysts view him as a top contender in the presidential race.

By launching his campaign with a party for the masses, Zhirinovsky managed to grab major air time on Russian television.

He also upstaged his two main political rivals--Communist Party leader Gennady A. Zyuganov and President Boris N. Yeltsin, who plans to announce his election plans Thursday.

By repeating his wedding vows with his wife, Galina, in a Russian Orthodox Church, Zhirinovsky may have been trying to quash whispers that his father was Jewish--a political liability in a country where anti-Semitism can still run strong.

Indeed, the entire festivity was choreographed to portray Zhirinovsky as the most Russian of Russians. He kissed icons during the wedding ceremony, applauded dancers in native costume, served traditional Russian food and made much of his brief sleigh ride.

Of course, plenty of the guests indulging in “Zhirinovsky”-brand vodka dismissed the party as a brazen election ploy.

“He’s just doing it to boost his ratings,” scoffed 23-year-old Nikolai Nekrasov.

But others expressed great admiration for Zhirinovsky’s spirited populism.

“He promises to raise Russia from her knees,” Grigory Mosen said. “And he’s going to do it.”