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History Repeats Itself for Russians

Before heading to the Turin Winter Olympics last week, three top stars from Russia`s national hockey team made a public show of joining United Russia, the pro-Kremlin party that is rapidly taking over political power at all levels. Athletes aren`t the only ones who are signing up to join UR, whose only political commandment is unequivocal support for President Vladimir Putin.

Following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Communist Party, the 19-million member monolith that ruled the USSR, leaders made successive attempts to create a "party of power" that would carry the Kremlin into the country`s parliamentary arena. Russia watchers and experts say about two-thirds of Russia`s civil servants, 70 of 89 regional governors, and thousands of celebrities and leading businesspeople have joined United Russia in recent years.

"We have a reason to celebrate," party leader and State Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said in a message that echoed Soviet-era propaganda. "Ahead of the decisive battle, they decided to join the party." A recent Russian law permits most officials, other than members of the security services, to join parties. Russia heads into fresh parliamentary elections in 2007, followed early the next year by presidential polls.