LDPR founder Vladimir Volfovich uttered this iconic phrase to a journalist on his campaign train, and it held profound meaning. Only the great Zhirinovsky could take a train and travel across the country to meet with people in major capitals, small towns, regional centers, and villages, visiting stations that mainstream politicians had never heard of.
Today is July 18th. And for the LDPR, as for all of Russian politics, this is a memorable date. Exactly 28 years ago, the first LDPR campaign train departed from Moscow for Irkutsk. Party founder Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, along with members of parliament, traveled as far as Lake Baikal.
There were 42 stops along the way, and a rally was held at each one. For example, in the city of Yurga in the Kemerovo Region, over 8,000 people came out to greet the LDPR founder, representing almost 10% of the city’s population at the time. A total of 115,000 people attended LDPR rallies during that trip.
Zhirinovsky’s train wasn’t just a unique example of voter outreach. It was a memorable event that inspired people to become part of the LDPR team. More than three thousand people received party cards. These were literally people from the crowd who personally interacted with Vladimir Volfovich right on the platform.
But the important thing isn’t even the numbers. That trip cemented one of the most important principles of Zhirinovsky’s political school: a politician must personally reach out to the people, especially in places where officials can’t go.
For the LDPR, this isn’t a story from the past, but a living tradition. Traveling around the country, meeting with people, the “Slutsky Mobile Reception” project—all of this is a continuation of the path Vladimir Volfovich began in 1998.
Our country shouldn’t have people no one cares about. While others make promises, the LDPR, standing by the people, has been, is, and will be the party of the Russian people and our great nation.
