“Surkov created a modern and innovative way of managing the new democratic system - but in a way that his critics say has sidelined the mass of the people and completely diminished real democracy.
To do this Surkov created a constantly shifting political tableau. As well as being one of the architects of Putin’s own party, United Russia, Surkov also allegedly helped to set up opposition parties the Kremlin could then use for their own purposes. And he copied Eduard Limonov - he set up a quasi-military nationalist youth group called Nashi.
Nashi claims to be an “anti-oligarchic, anti-fascist movement” but members have reportedly compared themselves to the Hitler Youth. And the Kremlin allegedly uses them to beat up opposition journalists.
At the same time Surkov writes lyrics for a rock group called Agata Kristi and essays on conceptual art.
A TV journalist who worked in Soviet television called Peter Pomerantsev has written a fascinating article about Surkov. You can find it here. In it he argues that Surkov has turned Russian politics into postmodern absurdist theatre. In a way, just like Limonov, Surkov is adapting avant-garde ideas to this new political world.
…
Eduard Limonov and Vladislav Surkov hate each other.
But in many ways they are very similar because both are convinced that western democracy is a complete sham - and both are trying to create political alternatives to what they see as the second wave of stagnation that took over Russia in the 1990s. This was the result of the corruption caused by the attempt to impose western capitalist and democratic ideas on the country.
Surkov believes that the truth is that the idea of democracy will always be an illusion, that all democracies will always be “managed democracies” whether east or west. So the solution is for a strong state to manipulate people - so that they feel they are free, while they are really being managed.”
According to wikipedia, Surkov keeps portraits of Putin, Che Guevara and Tupac Shakur on his office wall.
* Quoted text from the previously linked Curtis’ post.
** Photo from a tumblr dedicated to Surkov.
