The Jacket That Sparked Debate Around a Political Icon
The legacy surrounding Vladimir Zhirinovsky, once a central figure in the Liberal Democratic Party, began moving into the public eye as items associated with him entered the marketplace. On the Literature Fund auction site, a collection of pieces connected to the controversial politician appeared for sale, with an opening bid positioned at 250 thousand rubles. The auction was scheduled to begin on March 23.
The party described the red jacket as a gift Zhirinovsky presented to TV host Alexander Gordon during a Politics TV show broadcast in May 2014.
On the Literature Fund site, the jacket is framed as having collectible value. The Liberal Democratic Party’s press office stated that Rise, the publication that mentions the party founder, does not indicate ownership of personal belongings by him and has no link to the auction.
“His personal belongings rest with relatives, of course. Prizes, symbols, artifacts—everything is kept in a museum and holds sentimental value for the party, and we will not sell it. Ordinary citizens may sell some Zhirinovsky souvenirs; he was generous and often gave items away. Or they may be fake. Verification for every item launched is not possible.”
Indeed, several resale sites offer items labeled as Zhirinovsky memorabilia, including references to Zhirinovsky’s Diplomat or Zhirinovsky’s Portfolio.
“I’m interested in people, not jackets”
In a conversation with socialbites.ca, television host Alexander Gordon confirmed that the politician had given him the famous jacket.
“Yes, Zhirinovsky’s jacket. Vladimir Volfovich handed it to me during a Channel One policy program. A little over a year ago I passed it to a friend, and later I received a request asking for permission to place the jacket up for sale. I expected the proceeds to support charity. I didn’t mind,” Gordon explained.
State Duma Deputy Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy told socialbites.ca that he did not know how the jacket ended up at auction and could not assess its value. He added, “If buyers are willing to pay more, the price might rise.”
Having spent two decades in political life connected with Zhirinovsky and Gordon, Tolstoy recalled many acquaintances, yet he could not explain the auction’s outcome and noted, “What matters more are the people involved than the jacket itself.”
Tolstoy remembered Zhirinovsky’s several extravagant jackets and recalled an on-air moment during a live broadcast when microphones failed, describing the silk ensembles. He observed that the eventual price would be driven by the influence of the political figures rather than the channel’s airtime. April 6 was highlighted as the late politician’s anniversary, with various events planned by the State Duma and others.
“I’ll give you a jacket”
Historically, Zhirinovsky distributed jackets on television and used garments to illustrate points about light industry quality. The earliest documented instance appears to be March 1997, during a State Duma press conference on public aid. An onstage dispute led Zhirinovsky to remove his gray jacket, invite a guest to try it on, and quip, “Go, I’ll give you a jacket.”
After the exchange, the LDPR leader jokingly warned that the media might portray it as an assault on voters, saying, “Today they’ll show a scene where I attack a man and take his last money.”
During the May 2014 Politics program, the jacket topic resurfaced in the Donbass discussion. Host Pyotr Tolstoy invited Gordon to remind everyone of his promise to present Zhirinovsky with a red jacket. Gordon asked, “Where’s the jacket?” and a studio jacket was brought in. Tolstoy concluded the program with, “Now that Alexander Gordon is wearing a red jacket, I’m confident that things will be fine, both in Ukraine and in Russia.”
In October 2017, during an episode of An Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, the jacket again took center stage as the conversation turned to manufacturing and national production. Zhirinovsky urged prioritizing Russian-made clothing and argued for protective duties on imports to curb cheap products from abroad.
On 60 Minutes that same year, a discussion with Polish guest Jakub Koreiba touched on the outfit’s origin, with Koreiba noting U.S. assembly, while Zhirinovsky claimed the costume was made in Poland.
On LDPR.TV in 2020, Zhirinovsky, flanked by party members, questioned the push to cancel jackets and pressed for domestic clothing production, calling for duties on imports to shield Russian industry.
Jackets at auction
Earlier auctions at the Literary Fund featured other jackets tied to public figures. In June 2021, a striking patchwork jacket created by writer and politician Eduard Limonov sold for 1.7 million rubles, well above its 380 thousand ruble starting price. Limonov’s jacket, crafted in 1972 from 114 fabric pieces, bore two pieces with the initials E and L and a size of 46-48.
Additionally, a concert costume belonging to actor and musician Pyotr Mamonov appeared on the Literary Fund site and sold in June 2022 for 300,000 rubles, after starting at 90,000 rubles.
In sum, the Literary Fund has documented a pattern of auctioning memorabilia tied to public figures, generating public interest while underscoring debates about provenance, authenticity, and the meaning of symbolic items in political life [citation attribution].