December 12, 2023

An Unexpected Expected Announcement


An Unexpected Expected Announcement
Russian President Vladimir Putin walking through golden gates. Steven Pifer, Twitter.

On December 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at an awards ceremony that he would seek a fifth term as Russia's president in the upcoming 2024 election. 

After Putin finished a speech to honor awardees, cameras focused on medal recipient Artem Zhoga, the People's Council Chairman of the Russian-occupied Donetsk People's Republic and the father of a soldier who died in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Zhoga approached the podium and showered Putin with accolades, to which the president of 19 years responded, "Thank you so much. I won't hide that at different times I had different thoughts. But now, you are right, now is the time to make a decision. I will run for the post of president of the Russian Federation."

The seemingly unofficial announcement prompted various responses from the opposition. The director of the Alexey Navalny-founded Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, said,  "That was funny... I don't think they planned to announce the nomination like this... Someone will receive a hit in the head for this."

Opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov said, "And there comes the voice from the fridge: I'm going, he says, for a fifth term! The surprise, frankly speaking, was not a success."

Human rights activist Alina Popova said, "This is news, this is an event! No one waited, but he took [the opportunity] and solved the intrigue! Moreover, according to tradition, he did not decide on his own but kindly agreed when asked: either the workers asked or the father of a deceased military man... Don't you find this funny? Who are they hoping to deceive?"

Putin's re-election will take place March 15-17, 2024 – the ever-popular Ides of March to St. Patrick's Day weekend.

 

You Might Also Like

Armenia Joins ICC against Putin's Wishes
  • October 18, 2023

Armenia Joins ICC against Putin's Wishes

Armenia joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh offensive, straining its relationship with Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955