January 04, 2022

The New Year's Fairytale Nobody Asked For


The New Year's Fairytale Nobody Asked For
His story certainly doesn't lack creativity.  Photo via YouTube

As part of Russia's annual "Holiday Tree of Desires" campaign, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (Vladimir Zhirinovsky) decided to grace a young Muscovite with a toy dog for the New Year, but in a rather peculiar fashion. 

Zhirinovsky began his video presentation with a rather sad story about how in his youth he didn’t have such robotic dog toys, nor even any toys at all for that matter. Then he decided to present the girl with an additional gift: a little blue bag filled with candy and printed with the initials of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. 

But this bag is not just a bag; it comes along with an incredible story too. Somehow Zhirinovsky was able to see into this little girl's future and told her that this bag will lead her to her grandmother, who lives in the woods in a house with chicken legs (a lá Baba Yaga). Through a rather chaotic series of events, the little girl would be detained, but would then be saved when another politician from the Liberal Democratic Party (Vasily Vlasov) decides to make her his wife. 

Zhirinovsky ends his story by saying that this marriage will be the best thing to happen to the little girl, but a great tragedy for the Russian politician, and it is all thanks to the little blue bag and the robodog toy he gave her.

Many Russians aren't sure what to make of this story; some suspect Zhirinovsky is speaking in code to describe the political events of Russia, others suggest he had a bit too much to drink in celebration of New Year's Eve. As for the four-year-old girl in question, I'm sure she is just happy to receive some toys and candy

You Might Also Like

How to Celebrate the New Year
  • December 28, 2015

How to Celebrate the New Year

Are you sure you know how to appease the Fire Monkey and get your New Year off to a good start? We have tips! Learn how to decorate your house, what food to serve, and what to wear to ensure good luck in 2016.
New Moo
  • December 01, 2021

New Moo

In which, after not a small bureaucratic scuffle, a thirteen-year-old boy receives the gift from Putin that we all are really hoping for this Christmas: a brand new cow. 
Better Take This Seriously
  • February 18, 2020

Better Take This Seriously

“We wanted to draw attention to the problem: a lack of medical masks in pharmacies, the lack of information on the coronavirus. We were not trying to scare our compatriots or laugh at a hot topic. We just set up a social experiment.” – One of two men fined for their video pranking the coronavirus
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
A Taste of Chekhov

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.
Russian Rules

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.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Bears in the Caviar

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.

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