In addition to supporting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, Zhirinovsky wanted Russia to reclaim northern Kazakhstan, home to millions of Russians. The concept of an authoritarian “ruler” or “pravitel”, the Russian word proposed by the LDPR, has a deep historical legacy in Russia. The Romanov family ruled Imperial Russia as its tsars from 1613 for just over three centuries with near-total power. Tsar can also mean “ruler”, but is more closely associated with “emperor”. In contrast, the word “president”, with its suggestion of democracy, entered Russia during the demise of the Soviet Union, when Mikhail Gorbachev was briefly referred to as the president of the USSR. Previously, Soviet leaders were the president or general secretary of the Communist Party. Putin’s critics have said he has absolute power in Russia and rules like an autocratic tsar or, perhaps, a modern-day “pravitel.”
