I tried so hard to think of a witty intro to this post, but I couldn’t think of one. So, here it is - a collection of the finest music videos paying tribute to Russia’s leaders. In no particular order. Enjoy!

Vladimir Putin - Putin on the Ritz

Two lame duck leaders and one classic song can only add up to one thing: DANCING!

Gorbachev - saving hot girls from Stalin Zombies.

This one’s in hi-def, so may take a bit longer than the other videos to buffer.

Dmitry Medvedev’s own Russian Obama Girl

Like Obama, Dmitry Medvedev is Russia’s new hope. And the chicks clearly love him.

Medvedi Nevedi

Just in case you’ve not had enough of Dmitry Medvedev.

I want a man like Putin - Такого как Путин

Everyone likes a man like Putin… or do they?

I think, on balance, I prefer Dobby.

Someone still loves you Boris Yeltsin

OK, I admit it. I couldn’t find a song about Yeltsin. So here’s a band named after him instead.

And that’s it. The end of my brief collection of tribute songs to Russian leaders. Have I missed any?

I’m not quite sure what to make of this short video clip of various impressionists (to be charitable) of Russian and Soviet leaders.

Vladimir Putin looks quite chipper, I suppose, but V.I. Lenin looks terribly depressed to me.

At last, Russia has a homegrown star to match Borat.

Peter Nalitch’s cheesy pop video “Gitar” has taken the newly launched youtube.ru by storm, notching up more than 350,000 views already.

Seriously - who could resist the charming Nalitch as he croons “Gitarrr, Gitarrr, Gitarrr, jump to my yaguarrr, Gitarrr, Gitarrr Gitarrr, come to my boudoirrr” from the front seat of his cramped Soviet Kopeika car?

Filmed by a friend on a handheld camera at his family’s Dacha just outside of Moscow, Gitar (definitely not Guitar) sat relatively un-noticed on Youtube for several months until it spotted by Russia’s bloggers who couldn’t resist the catchy tune, cheesy lyrics and naked cartoon women scrawled across the screen.

Once they picked up the story Nalitch’s fame, and Gitar’s place in internet history, was assured.

Now Nalitch is becoming a star in the real world, too. The 26 year-old Muscovite played his first professional gig earlier this month in front of a packed house at the Apshu club in Moscow. He earned the princely sum of 30,000 roubles (about $1,200), his first ever professional fee.

But, true to his noble character, Nalitch was more concerned about the fans that couldn’t get into the club:

“I give it four stars, I was upset that it was so packed and not everyone was able to get in, but I think the people who were there had fun.”

So, what next for Nalich? Well, the former architecture student is following in the footsteps of his Bosnian grandfather - an opera singer - and is training as a singer at a Moscow music college. And with a number of other songs ready to go, international fame surely beckons.

Evercell. The battery that powered Reagan past four Soviet leaders - Brezhnev, Chernenko, Andropov, and Gorbachev.

I miss Spitting Image. The world needs more satirical puppets.

Does anyone recall seeing the Russian Spitting Image clone? Was it any good?

What can I say? It’s the Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, brought to you by sock puppets.

Brought to you by the Puppet Liberation Theatre. And some shifty looking guys behind a red blanket.

If I’d had any sense, I’d have posted this video a couple of weeks to cash in on the latest Harry Potter book, and all the search engine traffic it would have brought in.

Never mind. Better late than never. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Takogo kak Putin, set to video of Dobby from Harry Potter.

By the way - did you know that you can buy stuffed rabbits that sing Takogo Kak Putin? No word on whether the rabbits resemble Dobby though. Or Putin, for that matter.

Oh, and here are the lyrics to Kakoga Kak Putin in both Russian and English. Deep, I’m sure you’ll agree.

You’ve really got to hand it to that awesome twosome - the Russian Red Army Choir and the Leningrad Cowboys.  Not content with singing their big haired, curly toed and very anarchic version of Kalinka, they’ve gone and done the same to Sweet Home Alabama.

Sweet.

The Leningrad Cowboys and the Russian Red Army Choir have also done a version of Delilah (yes, the Tom Jones anthem), but embedding of this video has been disabled, so you’ll have to follow the link.

Remember the story I posted a couple of weeks ago, about a member of Putin’s advance party to Kennebunkport trying to buy whisky with a fake $100 bill?

Well, it’s hit the mainstream - big time. A (rather deranged, it must be said) CNN presenter, has decided that the money came right from the top:

“I have a sneaking suspicion that this counterfeiting can be traced all the way up to Putin himself. From arms and oil deals with everyone from Venezuela to Iran, this guy is in bed with evil. […] So, Putin, one way or another… could he be behind this counterfeiting?

Don’t believe me? Watch the video for yourself:

Bonkers. And, if this constitutes prime time US journalism, ever so slightly scary. I mean, I remember that US news seemed terrible when I lived over there a few years ago, but I hadn’t realised it had gotten quite this bad.

(Thanks to Robert Amsterdam for the tip).

President Putin’s speech to the Olympic Committee in Guatemala is widely credited as being one of the key factors that tipped the Winter Olympic vote in Sochi’s favour.

And now, you can see the speech in its entirety (plus some dodgy introductory music), courtesy of Russia Today:

I have to say, I was very impressed by the way in which Putin delivered his speech in English.

Although Putin is known for his excellent language skills, as far as I know, he’s never given a speech in English before on the world stage. On the evidence of this speech, he should use English more when speaking to the press. It would do the power of good to Russia’s international image.

Apparently, the Mongols weren’t who we thought they were, and the wusses couldn’t even conquer Russia:

The reason is simple - the actual “Mongol conquerors of Russia” never existed. The yoke theory was created by the German court historians of the new Russian dynasty - the Romanovs. It has served the end of justifying the Romanovs’ claims for the throne and demonising their longtime adversaries - the Horde, or the professional Russian army, which remained fiercely loyal to the old Russian dynasty.

Want proof? Watch the video (and then buy the book by Anatoly Fomenko). Not only will you get to learn about real Russian history, but it will “change your entire perception of history forever.”

Oh, and you’ll learn that Jesus was a medieval man.

(Thanks to Reluctant Muscovite for forwarding on the video).

Last night I took a trip into town to watch the Tiger Lillies play a live set at the Soho Theatre. Truly excellent, if magnificently warped, stuff.

And happily, I can tell you about this on Siberian Light because… they have a Russia connection. Back in 2005, they recorded an album called Huinya (best not to say this in front of your mother) with the only Russian band that can match them for anarchic nuttiness - Leningrad.

Here’s a short video, made by fans, in tribute to the Tiger Lillies, Leningrad, Huinya, and drinking:

Time for a bit of Russian ska-punk to wake you all up on a sleepy Easter Sunday.

“WWW” is my favourite track from the anarchic band Leningrad - partly because it seemed to be on the radio on an almost hourly basis when I was studying in Russia back in 2002/3.

And, for the real purists, here’s the same song, performed live:

You can find out more about Leningrad here. Best bit?

The band is known to be disliked by Moscow mayor Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov, who cancelled many of their concerts in the city.

I can’t think of a better endorsement.

Bonus Track: Меня зовут Шнур - My name is Shnur - animated by Toondra:

Update: If you are interested in Russian eurovision songs, check out my post with videos of every Russian eurovision entry since 1994.

Russia will be represented at the 2007 Eurovision song contest by Serebro, a three girl band.

Serebro have taken the controversial decision to sing in English, rather than Russian. While I imagine this will help with wider European recognition, I can’t imagine it’ll go down well at home. Russia has a very strong domestic music industry, and this seems like a bit of a sell out to me.

Anyway, courtesy of Youtube, check out Song#1, by Serebro, Russia’s official entry for Eurovision 2007.

Personally, I think it’s a bit dull - not just the choice of group, but the song too. Far less interesting that Ukraine’s ballsy decision to pick a transvestite as their representative at Eurovision 2007.

What happens when the iron discipline of the Russian Red Army Choir meets the big haired curly toed anarchy of the Leningrad Cowboys?

Kalinka, that’s what.

In 1987, ABC aired a 14 hour miniseries dramatising a Soviet occupation of America called - of course - Amerika. Here’s the trailer.

Another clip from the series is available from, of all places, the Marmot’s Hole.