Support The Moscow Times!

Just Russia Eyes Tiger Power

A Just Russia is considering adopting the endangered Siberian tiger as its symbol as it steps up its fight to dislodge United Russia — which uses the bear — from its pedestal as the party of power in upcoming State Duma elections.

“A tiger symbolizes might and power. This is a symbol that can help increase the party's popularity,” A Just Russia spokesman Dmitry Gudkov said by telephone Tuesday.

Gudkov said the Siberian tiger is one of several options under consideration, and the left-leaning, pro-Kremlin party would make a final decision at a summer conference. He did not identify other proposals.

The party's flag, a red banner with Russia's national colors, will also be changed, Gudkov said.

So far, A Just Russia has been associated with less impressive animals, in particular, the muskrat, the mascot for the Party of Life, which merged with two smaller parties to create A Just Russia in 2007.

Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov, who headed Party of Life and is the current leader of A Just Russia, promised at one point to campaign for the preservation of the muskrat. But the attempt to win positive publicity failed spectacularly, bringing much ridicule in the opposition media.

Many party members were surprised by the decision to look for a symbol, and there is doubt that even a tiger — an animal favored by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who received a cub for one of his birthdays — could help the party compete against United Russia in December elections, a party staffer told The Moscow Times.

“I don't think that a symbol might change the attitude toward the party,” said the staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity since she was not authorized to speak to the media.

A United Russia politician accused A Just Russia of trying to cash in on Putin's popularity by associating itself with his attempt to save Siberian tigers from extinction. Putin chaired a tiger summit in St. Petersburg last year.

“Since Prime Minister Putin has taken tigers under his personal control, this topic has become fashionable and A Just Russia is trying to use it,” Timur Prokopenko, leader of Young Guard, a United Russia youth movement, said in a statement Tuesday.

Analysts agreed that the tiger would not save A Just Russia at the ballot box. The party currently holds only 38 of the 450 seats in the Duma.

“In regions, the party relies on the few charismatic leaders it is able to get," said Alexander Kynev, a regional politics analyst.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more