Russia’s Communist Party candidate for the March 18 Russian presidential election runs an agribusiness named after Vladimir Lenin and has praised Stalin, to whom he bears a passing resemblance. Meet Pavel Grudinin, a debonair businessman who boasts million-dollar earnings
Communist businessman who’s a millionaire
The grey-haired politician with his ready smile is the first fresh face in years to stand for the red-flag-waving party led by 73-year-old stalwart Gennady Zyuganov. Nicknamed the “strawberry king”, the 57-year-old has a pick-your-own fruit farm and dairy herd on a chunk of valuable real estate on Moscow’s outskirts
The Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina, or Lenin State Farm, covers a whole district, entered through elaborate gates decorated with strawberry motifs. Inside are strawberry sculptures, a cafe called Berry and street lights in the shape of the red berry. The farm was founded in 1918 as a showcase for Soviet agriculture. In 1995, it became a private company with Grudinin as director
‘Secret’ Swiss bank accounts
Grudinin may be a “capitalist”, but his treatment of workers and the local community play well with Communists too, political analyst Konstantin Kalachev was quoted as saying by AFP
“My earnings over the last six years were 157 million rubles ( $2.7 million). I don’t earn badly,” he said recently. He hit controversy in March when the Central Electoral Commission ruled that he failed to declare Swiss bank accounts containing $1 million before registering his bid
No match for Tsar Putin, but ...
According to state pollster VTsIOM, Grudinin’s public support stood at 7.1 per cent in early March, while Putin’s was 69.7 per cent. At the start of the year 73.8 per cent had said they would back the Kremlin strongman. The downward trend for Putin prompted a wave of hostile coverage of Grudinin in pro-Kremlin media, his supporters say