Zhirinovsky

MOSCOW -- Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the new man of consequence in Russian politics, introduced himself to the world yesterday trying to look less frightening.The leader of the extremist Liberal Democratic Party swept onto the stage of a stylish Western hotel at 2 p.m. wearing a tuxedo, his newly minted shadow Cabinet in tow. A man with a luxuriously curled white mustache -- a "military volunteer" in old Cossack uniform -- lent moral support from the wings.A young, attractive woman -- shadow minister for family issues -- bore a large armful of bright red carnations.

MOSCOW -- A new book by Russian ultranationalist Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky begins with a chilling vision: On a cold November night, a train pulls out of Moscow bound for the far north. The last wagon -- a freight car -- is jammed with Mr. Zhirinovsky's enemies.He does not need to tell his reader where the condemned are going. By his gleeful tone and garish insults, we know they will be disposed of in the time-honored way -- in Siberian labor camps.The train holds the "Who's Who" of Russia's democratic experiment, including the "birthmarked reformer," former President Mikhail S. Gorbachev; the "suckling pig" Yegor T. Gaidar; even the "witch" Yelena Bonner, widow of dissident Andrei D. Sakharov.

MOSCOW -- The chilling results of Russia's election continued to mount yesterday.Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky -- an exuberantly unapologetic Russia-firster -- had tapped a deep vein of resentment and was on top of the Russian political world. From the Baltic to the Sea of Japan and beyond, millions who had never taken him seriously were waking up to the reality of disturbing Russian nationalism.Their disquiet seemed at times to be bordering on panicky despair.Mr. Zhirinovsky incongruously named Liberal Democratic Party had emerged yesterday as the strongest contender in elections to Russia's new state Duma, or lower house of parliament.

Washington -- Rumors have circulated that Vladimir Zhirinovsky was funded by the KGB, by Saddam Hussein, Muammar el Kadafi -- all of which may or may not have been true.Mr. Zhirinovsky gave all three reason enough to bankroll his candidacy. His frankly authoritarian goals are manifestly attractive to the same KGB faction that has supported previous conspiracies against Russian democracy. His advocacy of closer relations with Iraq and Libya give these progressively more isolated regimes a rationale for supporting his election.

IS Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the racist demagogue whose party took a surprisingly big chunk of the vote in the new Russian parliament, an incipient Adolf Hitler? No.Is Russia, in the painful throes of transition to capitalism, another Weimar Germany? No.Are we pumping up this man's support by insulting voters who used him as their vehicle of protest? Yes.He won a Perot-sized slice of the ballots by organizing a party first; by outspending his dozen rivals on television in the final two weeks; by staying on his message of resentment of corruption, crime, unemployment and loss of national pride; by inheriting the support of fringe parties foolishly banned by a remote Boris Yeltsin; and by running against an establishment slate that took its pompous campaign style from Thomas E. Dewey.

MOSCOW -- Russians are slowly beginning to get the hang of President Bill Clinton. Perhaps a splashy summit will complete the job.Most Russians feel about Mr. Clinton's predecessor, George Bush, the way most Americans feel about Mikhail S. Gorbachev. To the average Russian, Mr. Bush was a great world leader who was tossed aside by his countrymen inexplicably and without any warning whatsoever."How does being governor of Arizona prepare him for world politics?" one Russian expert on U.S. politics blurted out the day after Mr. Clinton's election.

WASHINGTON -- After two days of uncertain reaction to Russian elections, the Clinton administration moved forcefully yesterday to back Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin in the hope that he can unify divided reformers and push the surging ultra-right to the margins."

Prague -- As final returns from Russia's elections became available Thursday, Central Europeans breathed a sigh of relief but still expressed concern about the rise of nationalism on their eastern flank.The right-wing Liberal Democratic Party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky had not fared as well as had been believed from partial election returns earlier in the week. The later counts alleviated some of the anxiety in the region.Nonetheless, politicians and pundits in Central Europe remain troubled by developments in Moscow, even if Mr. Zhirinovsky party does not end up with the largest bloc of seats in the Russian Parliament.

Vice President Al Gore's denunciation yesterday of the Russian neo-fascist, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, had a harsh, blunt, uncompromising quality that was needed to express American revulsion to the racism, anti-Semitism, militarism and ultra-nationalism that comes out of the mouth of this new demagogue on the Moscow scene.In describing Mr. Zhirinovsky, views as "reprehensible and anathema to all freedom-loving peoples," the vice president was speaking not only for his countrymen. His words were bound to resonate passionately among the Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians and all others Mr. Zhirinovsky, would threaten through a return to Russian expansionism.

MOSCOW -- The chilling results of Russia's election continued to mount yesterday.Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky -- an exuberantly unapologetic Russia-firster -- had tapped a deep vein of resentment and was on top of the Russian political world. From the Baltic to the Sea of Japan and beyond, millions who had never taken him seriously were waking up to the reality of disturbing Russian nationalism.Their disquiet seemed at times to be bordering on panicky despair.Mr. Zhirinovsky incongruously named Liberal Democratic Party had emerged yesterday as the strongest contender in elections to Russia's new state Duma, or lower house of parliament.