Dmitri Medvedev, Music Lover

Dmitri Medvedev, Music Lover ENIGMATIC LAWYER: Dmitri Medvedev takes the presidency Wednesday from Vladimir Putin, under whom he's worked for much of the last 15 years. Though holding high positions, he's stayed largely in the background, making him largely unknown to the public. Dmitry Astakhov/AP/ Today’s Christian Science Monitor features two profiles of incoming Russian president Dmitri Medvedev. For whatever reason, both emphasize his love of rock and roll.

Fred Weir weighs in with “In Putin’s shadow, Russia inaugurates Medvedev: The new president, a savvy lawyer who likes Led Zeppelin, faces rising corruption and decaying national infrastructure.”

Not to be outdone, Christa Case Bryan gives us, “Meet Dmitri Medvedev: Russia’s new president loves Deep Purple, shuns alcohol.” No word if this is because, as with most Deep Purple fans, he prefers alternative means of mood altering.

In any event, Bryan’s profile is by far the more touchy-feely.

Active: Swims for an hour every morning and evening, sleeping only from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Teetotaler: Favors lighter fare — sushi is his current favorite — and shuns alcohol, but not ice cream and candy.

Finicky: Won’t let anyone else feed the fish in his office fish tank.

Precocious: Modern Russia’s youngest head of state. Met wife Svetlana at age 7.

Discriminating: Disdains going to the movies, preferring instead to view “serious” European and Russian films at home — but confesses to an occasional Hollywood flick.

Dapper: Fellow students remember him in a suit with a briefcase at his side. [He’s the Russian Alex P. Keaton? – ed.]

Rocker: A fan of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple — bands that were all cool but blacklisted when he was a teen in the ’70s.

Edgy: Decided at age 23 to be baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church, when the Soviet government frowned upon it. [This qualifies as edgy? -ed]

Intellectual: Born to two professors, he likes Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, and chess.

No word on his stance on moonlit walks along the beach.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Bithead says:

    [This qualifies as edgy? -ed]

    Darned right. Remember, Religion didn’t mesh with Marx.

  2. yetanotherjohn says:

    Didn’t the MSM croon about Putin liking Jazz (or was that Andropov).

  3. Dave Schuler says:

    I also understand that when he speaks you can barely see Putin’s lips move.