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Russian anti-Putin satirists have car vandalised with giant wooden penis Russian anti-Putin satirists have car vandalised with giant wooden penis
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The state of political discourse in Russia could hardly be considered healthy – but it has reached an alarming new low after the car of an anti-government dissident was vandalised with a giant wooden phallus.The state of political discourse in Russia could hardly be considered healthy – but it has reached an alarming new low after the car of an anti-government dissident was vandalised with a giant wooden phallus.
Satirists Arseny Bobrovsky and Katya Romanovskaya, who have achieved celebrity status in Russia after being revealed as the duo behind the hugely popular @KermlinRussia spoof Twitter account, woke up on Monday last week to find the 200lb penis chained to their BMW.Satirists Arseny Bobrovsky and Katya Romanovskaya, who have achieved celebrity status in Russia after being revealed as the duo behind the hugely popular @KermlinRussia spoof Twitter account, woke up on Monday last week to find the 200lb penis chained to their BMW.
Posting on their Facebook account, the name of which translates as the “public figure” Persident of Ruissia, the car’s owner Bobrovsky wrote: “Finally, the day has come when my work has been noticed and appreciated.”Posting on their Facebook account, the name of which translates as the “public figure” Persident of Ruissia, the car’s owner Bobrovsky wrote: “Finally, the day has come when my work has been noticed and appreciated.”
In a country where transparent and outspoken anti-governmental figures struggle to stay so for long, the pair set up their satirical account anonymously in 2010 as a response to then-president Dmitry Medvedev’s announcement of the official feed @KremlinRussia.In a country where transparent and outspoken anti-governmental figures struggle to stay so for long, the pair set up their satirical account anonymously in 2010 as a response to then-president Dmitry Medvedev’s announcement of the official feed @KremlinRussia.
Their follower numbers have surged to more than 700,000 – and such was their popularity, it is reported they triggered Mr Medvedev to set up his own @MedvedevRussia account to avoid confusion.Their follower numbers have surged to more than 700,000 – and such was their popularity, it is reported they triggered Mr Medvedev to set up his own @MedvedevRussia account to avoid confusion.
Arseny Bobrovsky and Katya Romanovskaya were glamourously unveiled as the duo behind @KermlinRussia in a GQ spread last year Bobrovsky and Romanovskaya revealed themselves as the so-called “Kermlins” last year in a glamourous spread in Russia’s GQ magazine, and recently featured prominently in a New Republic cover story on Russian democracy. Bobrovsky and Romanovskaya revealed themselves as the so-called “Kermlins” last year in a glamourous spread in Russia’s GQ magazine, and recently featured prominently in a New Republic cover story on Russian democracy.
According to that publication, the giant penis is likely the work of Nashi, described as a pro-government youth group “paid and brainwashed to be the Kremlin’s blunt instrument of revenge”. Arseny Bobrovsky and Katya Romanovskaya were glamourously unveiled as the duo behind @KermlinRussia in a GQ spread last year According to that publication, the giant penis is likely the work of Nashi, described as a pro-government youth group “paid and brainwashed to be the Kremlin’s blunt instrument of revenge”.
New Republic reported that aside from the practical difficulty of removing the phallus – with police “laughing too hard to get their act together” – there is a sinister side to the incident. The satirists had been away at a conference in France and only returned with their car late on the night the prank was carried out – making it highly likely their house was being watched.New Republic reported that aside from the practical difficulty of removing the phallus – with police “laughing too hard to get their act together” – there is a sinister side to the incident. The satirists had been away at a conference in France and only returned with their car late on the night the prank was carried out – making it highly likely their house was being watched.
Though it is impossible to trace the incident back to any direct government involvement, such a prominent attack on outspoken government opponents could well prove a talking point ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, which open tomorrow.Though it is impossible to trace the incident back to any direct government involvement, such a prominent attack on outspoken government opponents could well prove a talking point ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, which open tomorrow.