The disparate parts of the anti-Putin movement probably couldn’t agree on much except their common desire to see the once-and-future president not win the election and a third term on March 4.
Yesterday VDV veterans from Moscow’s Akademicheskiy rayon appeared on the Internet rocking with hard-edged lyrics against Putin. Livejournal comments indicate these guys are for real. They were at Sakharov Square, and someone’s suggested they be on-stage at the February 4 demonstration.
Someone was kind enough to transcribe the lyrics here, and here are some English ones:
If you’re a citizen, if you’re president
There’s a law for you, there’s a prohibition for you
Don’t steal from the treasury and never lie
Be open for all, answer for your words
Eight years president and again a candidate
Look us in the eye and surrender your mandate
We believed you, but you lied many years
Employing in everything your KGB secretYou’re just like me, a man not God
I’m just like you, a man not a lout
Let’s not lie more, let’s not steal
We’re a freedom assault, the Motherland is with us
You’re a typical official, not tsar or God
For you a man is a stupid monkey
The ribbon’s color is freedom, for all positive
And only for you…a condomI’m looking at you, at your portraits
You’re still lying to us just like your bears
We’re tired of looking at the shame of the entire country
With village poverty next to your castles
You destroyed the defense sector, and retired the army
You put it on soldiers, sent officers away
We won’t forgive all your services
We are demanding peacefully – go away tyrantYou’re just like me, a man not God
I’m just like you, a man not a lout
Let’s not lie more, let’s not steal
We’re a freedom assault, the Motherland is with us
You’re a typical official, not tsar or God
For you a man is a stupid monkey
The ribbon’s color is freedom, for all positive
And only for you…a condomWe remember our granddads who fought the SS
We remember our Guards who jumped from the sky
Berlin and Afghan remain in our heart
But the heart of One Russians is their own pocket
Nowadays honor’s not in respect, there’s no virtue
And only the systemic gleam of coins
Global materialism of machines and wimps
This is rotten systemic cynicism
They’ve forgotten culture in YeGE schools
Diplomas for money and bribes everywhere
An old man can’t be treated for free
This is the deadend of a rotten systemYou’re just like me, a man not God
I’m just like you, a man not a lout
Let’s not lie more, let’s not steal
We’re a freedom assault, the Motherland is with us
You’re a typical official, not tsar or God
For you a man is a stupid monkey
The ribbon’s color is freedom, for all positive
And only for you…a condom
Of course, it loses a lot in translation. But even if you can’t follow the original, its anger and power is palpable.
It seems to this author very unlikely Vladimir Putin will depart the scene any time soon. But the demonstrations and the protest movement (even this song) signify that politics and activism are returning to Russia.
Russian Defense Policy 
Frankly, to look at these VDV dudes, and at the unstable and irresponsible screamers, I would not let the opposition people make me an eggs omelet or pour me a cup of coffee, never mind take cues from them or even contemplate to give 1 vote for a man like Nemtsov or Yavlinsky.
As for the VDV guys, I would not let them drive my kid’s school bus or even say hello to my daughter.
Many in Russia, and most in the West, seem to have a problem with arithmetic: a bunch of micro parties, fringe elements, and numerical fractions don’t make up the 50% needed to challenge Putin, who has the support of the majority. And even if he did not, he would still be the most popular politician and win the second round. Thanks to this undeserved attention to the impatient and frustrated groups, those who desire to see somebody else win are only setting themselves up for a disappointment and more frustration after March 2012. Instead, they should make themselves worthy of respect and trust instead of blaming one man for their inadequacies. He is not your father and mother, they raised you and set you out to the world.
maybe their parents should have used the condom, huh?
I liked the song. Whether you are a Putin supporter or not you have to admit its very well done.
That said, I don’t know that it tells us anything about Putin’s support among those in the ranks or who they would rather see in office. I suspect to the extent there is an opposition in the ranks it bleeds for the KPRF and LDPR and not for Mr. Yavlinsky or Mr. Nemtsov. I certainly dont think these fine gentlemen will be voting for Mr. Prokhorov or comrade Mironov.
Sarge, you definitely understand.
ElRoz, please note the post indicates the opposition is very unlikely to be a threat to Putin on March 4. But it is remarkable it exists at all. It is obvious there are many — a minority perhaps, but a large one — who feel the “national leader” doesn’t represent them or their aspirations. They want a level political and electoral playing field. As much as Putin may want, they may not go away on March 5. No one who really watches Russia will say a new president would make things better than Putin. The problems would be different. But a new regime might be more democratic and less kleptocratic. There would be lots of Putin nostalgia no doubt. But your comments indicate you too regard most Russians as bandarlog. Can the largest country in the world with only 140 million citizens really afford to write off large swathes of its people as undesirables rather than including them in politics and the economy? It seems like a vector to national extinction.
ElRoz, Вам очень повезло, что вы живёте не здесь. Рассуждать со стороны всегда проще, чем испытать что-то на своей шкуре.
Yelena, thanks for that. For others, she’s saying ElRoz is lucky he doesn’t live in Russia. It’s simpler for him to judge from the outside than to experience the situation himself. I think perhaps she agrees that Russia’s leaders need to listen and value their people more.