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Moscow Times
May 14, 2004
Linguistic Highlights of the Putin Presidency
By Michele A. Berdy

[DJ: Without the Russian language text in JRL. Go here to see complete text: http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2004/05/14/007.html]

, , : You have to obey the law all the time, not just when they've got you by the short and curlies.

History will judge Vladimir Putin's presidency, but judging by a new book -- : (Putinki: A Short Collection of the President's Sayings) -- we can say one thing for certain: Putin has revolutionized the language of the Russian presidency.

His are not the folksy inaccuracies of Mikhail Gorbachev ( for ), the verbal tics of Boris Yeltsin ( ? You know?) or the malapropisms of Viktor Chernomyrdin ( -- We can always be able). And it's not that Putin's speech is crude (though it can be salty), street-tough (though cop-talk sneaks in) or inappropriate (though it comes close). But it is plain-talking, straight, down-to-earth Russian. He calls it like he sees it.

Take this comment about Russian participation in Iraq: , , : . (In response to the proposal that Russian armed forces take part in operations in Iraq, you want to say -- right, like we're that stupid.) Or one of his many comments directed at the oligarchs: -- , , . (Everyone has to understand once and for all that you have to obey the law all the time, not just when they've got you by the short and curlies.) Or his comments on criminals: , , [ ]. . (When you see all that, you feel like you could strangle the criminals. But that's just emotion talking.) Or on terrorists: " " -- . . . (When Bush calls bin Laden a villain, he's speaking very properly. I'd use other words. But I can't use them in the mass media.)

He's clear about Russia's position in the world: . (Russia is not standing around with its hand outstretched; we're not asking anyone for anything.) Or more poetically: [ ] , , [ ]. (Russia is like a bird; she'll fly well if she is supported by two wings [Europe and Asia].) Or more logically: , . . , . (If there is a brain drain, it means there are brains here. That's a good start. It means that they are high-quality or else no one would want them and there would be no brain drain.)

And he's not afraid to call Russia on some of its failings: -- . (We have an old Russian pastime: search for the guilty.) Neither is he afraid to admit to some of the temptations he experiences as president: , . (I can't operate outside of the framework of the Russian Constitution, although sometimes I'd really like to.) -- , . (The easiest thing to do is rattle your saber, cut off some heads and look like a tough-guy leader.)

Nor does he spare his former co-workers: . (The secret services shouldn't stick their nose into civil society.)

Why does this go down so well? My theory is that he owes his great popularity with the Russian public to the way he speaks. He's the first Russian president who sounds like the guy next door.

Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.