Surkov visits Nashi

Yesterday, Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin’s chief ideologist, stopped by the headquarters of Nashi, the pro-Kremlin youth group he helped create. This is the youth group best known for badgering the UK ambassador when British-Russian relations fell to an all-time low with the death of Alexander Litvinenko. Or for picketing the Estonian embassy when relations turned sour. Or releasing sexy calendars. Or being accused of attacking those who don’t tow the Kremlin line.

Now Nashi has a new cause: corruption. So what if President Medvedev announced that fighting corruption would be his cause celebre when first coming to power three years ago? There’s an election around the corner, and Surkov and his team are worried. Corruption has become so ubiquitous – in forms both small and large – that you can barely have a conversation these days without it inevitably coming up. People are not happy. Nor are they hopeful.

What better way to combat public concern then with a massive demonstration through central Moscow. On Saturday, Nashi plans to gather 50,000 youth under their new “White Aprons” (eh?) project, calling for an end to corruption.

That’s why Surkov visited, presumably, but that’s not the most interesting bit. Check out this photo report on their spokeswoman's blog for a look inside Nashi’s offices. There’s the predictable drawings and photos of Putin and Medvedev but there’s also so much more. My favorite is photo #5: a poster of the now infamous Putin calendar, heavily cleavage-y, hangs on the wall. A photograph of a smiling Medvedev and stern Putin hangs to the left. In front stand four red picture frames: Ashton Kutcher, Surkov, Putin and what looks to me like Jake Gyllenhaal holding a puppy. Is there something Hollywood wants to tell us?