The founder of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Biography

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the founder and permanent leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, deputy of all eight convocations of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, would have turned 80 on April 25, 2026. About the life and career of a politician — in the material of Izvestia.

Childhood and education

Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky was born on April 25, 1946 in Alma Ata (now Kazakhstan), becoming the sixth and youngest child in the family. Mother — Alexandra Pavlovna Zhirinovskaya (nee Makarova), a native of Mordovia. His father is Wolf Isaakovich Eidelstein, a native of Western Ukraine. At the beginning of the war, he was deported to Kazakhstan, where he married Zhirinovskaya, but immediately after the birth of their son, their family was deported to Poland. Later he lived in Israel.

In 1970, the future politician graduated with honors from the Historical and Philological Faculty of the Institute of Oriental Languages (later the Institute of Asian and African Studies) at Moscow State University with a degree in Turkey and the Turkish Language. In 1965-1967, he simultaneously studied at the University of Marxism-Leninism. In 1977, he graduated with honors from the evening department of the Law Faculty of Moscow State University. Doctor of Philosophy (in 1998 he defended his thesis on the Russian nation), Professor.

The beginning of a career path

As a student, in 1967 Zhirinovsky sent a letter to Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, with proposals for reforms in education, agriculture and urban administration. He was invited "for a conversation" to the city committee of the party, where they called the ideas unrealistic.

In 1969, he completed internships in Iran and Turkey, and worked as a translator on the construction of an oil refinery in Iskanderon. He was arrested and expelled from Turkey, according to his version, for giving a Soviet badge to a local resident.

In 1970-1972, Zhirinovsky served in the army in the political directorate of the headquarters of the Transcaucasian Military District in Tbilisi. Then he worked in the Soviet Committee for the Protection of Peace, in the dean's Office of the Higher School of Trade Union Movement, in the Foreign Law College of the Ministry of Justice of the USSR (specializing in inheritance law). In 1983-1990, he was a legal adviser and head of the legal department of the Mir publishing house.

The creation of the Liberal Democratic Party and a political career

The politician participated in the creation of the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union on December 13, 1989. On March 31, 1990, he was elected chairman at the founding congress. Since then, he has been the permanent head of the party for more than 30 years (since 2017, he has also been its supreme council).

In 1991, during the coup, the Emergency Committee publicly supported the conspirators. In 1993, he sided with Yeltsin in a conflict with the Supreme Soviet.

In addition, Zhirinovsky ran for president of the Russian Federation six times, which is a Russian record. He showed the best result in 2008 (9.35%, third place).

The politician has been a deputy of all eight convocations of the State Duma since 1993. From 2000 to 2011 he served as Deputy Speaker, in 1993-1999 and since 2011 he headed the LDPR faction. He was also a candidate for the post of governor of the Belgorod region in 1999, taking third place in the election (17.72%).

Family and personal life

Zhirinovsky was married to virologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences Galina Lebedeva. Their son Igor Lebedev, a former deputy speaker of the State Duma, was born in 1972. Zhirinovsky also has two illegitimate children: daughter Anastasia (born in 1983) and son Oleg (born in 1986).

Illness and death

In early February 2022, Zhirinovsky was hospitalized in the Central Clinical Hospital with a severe coronavirus infection and died on April 6, 2022.

Titles and awards

Zhirinovsky held the rank of colonel in retirement, was an honored lawyer of the Russian Federation (2000). Full Knight of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland" (2006, 2011, 2016, 2021), He was awarded the Orders of Honor (2008), Alexander Nevsky (2015), and the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of Prince Daniel of Moscow, First class. He spoke English, French, German and Turkish. He is the author of more than 500 books and publications.