373:
734:
664:
313:
359:
706:
389:
403:
692:
329:
161:
147:
748:
762:
253:
177:
678:
191:
223:
720:
419:
269:
299:
283:
343:
239:
494:"Bald, hairy, bald, hairy, bald, hairy—that's how we elect our leaders," my St Petersburg friend quips when I ask if she voted in the presidential elections. "Think about it: Lenin was bald, Stalin was hairy; Krushchev was bald, Brezhnev was hairy; Gorbachev was bald, Yeltsin was hairy—and Putin is practically bald. Medvedev had to win."
209:
97:
The bald–hairy joke is that there is, apparently, a strict rule applying to Russia's politics for the latest two centuries. A bald (or obviously balding) state leader is succeeded by a non-bald ("hairy") one, and vice versa. While this pattern is most likely a coincidence, it has held true since
576:
A different sequence is related to the character of death of
Russian heads of state and can be traced from 1730 to 1825 and separately from 1825 to 1924: Anna died, Ivan VI was killed, Elizabeth died, Peter III was killed, Catherine the Great died, Paul was killed,
372:
442:
was temporarily appointed as the official head of state while
Yeltsin was undergoing a difficult surgery. He may be counted as being preceded and followed by Yeltsin, and was bald. A similar situation was that of
733:
663:
431:, who was also hairy and did not fit into the pattern. However, in the first months after the death of Stalin and before arrest, the greatest power was held by Minister of Internal Affairs
24:
801:
785:
602:
544:. Emperor Paul changed the rules of succession to the throne so that only men could rule the country, and the "man–woman" interchange was terminated. If
89:, who has a full head of hair. Putin was the president from 2000 until 2008; Medvedev held the post until 2012, whereupon Putin became president again.
691:
705:
617:, broke the pattern through his own death from a stroke. No subsequent Russian heads of state have been killed since Nicholas II's execution.
448:
312:
1055:
483:
463:
75:
747:
358:
160:
1040:
71:
67:
1010:
761:
609:, was executed by revolutionaries). While the pattern was briefly maintained after the monarchy's downfall by Soviet leader
328:
402:
1035:
795:
452:
545:
841:
677:
490:. In modern Russia the pattern is a frequent subject for jokes and cartoons. It is often used in political journalism:
388:
107:
43:
or balding leader to a hairy one and vice versa. This consistent pattern can be traced back to as early as 1825, when
66:), the rule applies to the General (First) Secretaries of the Central Committee. In relation to the Chairmen of the
606:
893:
626:
39:
political discourse, referring to the empirical rule of the state leaders' succession defined as a change of a
146:
719:
1050:
594:
168:
832:
590:
152:
56:
996:"Череда правителей России (закономерность истории): Александр II — лысый Николай ... Анекдоты из России"
598:
578:
513:
252:
182:
176:
48:
863:
582:
565:
427:
Some time after the death of hairy Stalin, the actual leader of the USSR was the head of government,
334:
138:
99:
44:
1060:
780:
537:
533:
529:
439:
190:
899:
517:
214:
115:
110:
from 1953 to 1955, but not First
Secretary and at no point an uncontested leader). However, some
222:
869:
767:
654:
525:
459:
350:
290:
929:
697:
669:
638:
630:
553:
541:
479:
28:
418:
1045:
753:
711:
650:
642:
549:
509:
475:
444:
432:
428:
394:
304:
274:
268:
260:
103:
86:
52:
817:Новая наука Историоматика/Пси-гидродинамика Советской власти, или Закон "лысых/волосатых"
828:Преемник должен быть без запаха. Интервью И. Минтусова, личного консультанта Б. Ельцина
739:
683:
634:
610:
564:
ruler, then the sequence could be traced from 1676, when another of Sophia's brothers,
521:
410:
380:
298:
230:
82:
63:
815:
589:
who threatened to kill him and his family, the sequence resumed when
Nicholas I's son
1029:
790:
725:
646:
487:
364:
320:
244:
282:
118:
showed that he was in the early stages of balding, lending controversy to the rule.
878:
826:
614:
342:
508:
From 1682 to 1801 there was a strict "man–woman" sequence on the
Russian throne:
586:
200:
478:'s leadership. In the middle of the 1990s some humorously predicted that bald
1015:
884:
847:
238:
979:
919:
111:
474:
The pattern is believed to have become well known during the period of
455:. He was hairy, and his predecessor and successor Gorbachev was bald.
995:
657:. This pattern is valid only if acting prime ministers are excluded.
557:
36:
903:
59:
formed the first "bald–hairy" pair of the sequence with his father.
953:
208:
78:
do not follow the rule, having more 'hairy' leaders than 'bald'.
81:
The current "bald–hairy" pair of
Russian rulers are the balding
40:
189:
70:
the rule is not followed. Additionally, the
Chairmen of the
451:, he actually headed the USSR for 3 days as the Acting
601:
was killed (however, Nicholas's designated successor
605:was never confirmed as Emperor, and soon after the
581:died. After an interruption of the sequence, when
492:
466:, as a "hairy", he countered, "hairy" Yeltsin.
625:A similar pattern has been observed among the
798:, to whom this theory is sometimes attributed
613:'s death from natural causes, his successor,
499:Other patterns in Russian rulers' successions
8:
865:Мистические закономерности российской власти
954:"Baldness Pattern: A New Cold War Analysis"
438:Additionally, on the 5th of November 1996
120:
458:Thus, the only exception to the rule was
973:
971:
802:British prime ministers with facial hair
944:
659:
560:during their minority) is counted as a
68:All-Russian Central Executive Committee
952:Krulwich, Robert (10 September 2008).
7:
1011:"Russian politics: the bald truth"
62:In Soviet times (for rulers after
14:
649:, "bald" Vladimir Putin, "hairy"
984:(in Russian). Kievskiy Telegraf.
978:V. Skachko (April 11–17, 2008).
924:(in Russian). Kievskiy Telegraf.
918:V. Skachko (April 11–17, 2008).
760:
746:
732:
718:
704:
690:
676:
662:
417:
401:
387:
371:
357:
341:
327:
311:
297:
281:
267:
251:
237:
221:
207:
175:
159:
145:
102:(with the possible exception of
1009:Catriona Bass (7 March 2008).
621:Bald and hairy prime ministers
1:
796:Volodymyr Ivanovych Savchenko
464:constitutional crisis in 1993
114:film of Joseph Stalin at the
998:(in Russian). 24 April 2004.
846:(in Russian). Archived from
825:Y. Mikhailina (2007-01-12).
1056:Political history of Russia
862:V. Tseplyaev (2007-12-27).
568:, succeeded to the throne.
482:would "inevitably" win the
108:Premier of the Soviet Union
47:succeeded his late brother
1077:
931:Шарж в газете, пуля во лбу
607:Russian Revolution of 1917
498:
486:and thus replace non-bald
484:1996 presidential election
76:Supreme Soviet of the USSR
786:List of leaders of Russia
585:suppressed the revolt of
32:
980:
930:
920:
894:
879:
864:
842:
827:
816:
892:D. Dybov (2002-10-08).
1041:Alexander II of Russia
833:Moskovskij Komsomolets
538:Catherine II the Great
496:
194:
35:) is a common joke in
33:лысый — волосатый
16:Russian political joke
193:
1036:Nicholas I of Russia
814:Vladimir Savchenko.
629:since 1999: "Hairy"
335:Konstantin Chernenko
98:1825, starting from
781:Curse of Tippecanoe
440:Viktor Chernomyrdin
55:. Nicholas I's son
900:Moskovskie Novosti
215:Alexander Kerensky
195:
116:Potsdam Conference
870:Argumenty i Fakty
768:Mikhail Mishustin
655:Mikhail Mishustin
510:Peter I the Great
460:Alexander Rutskoy
425:
424:
351:Mikhail Gorbachev
291:Nikita Khrushchev
1068:
1021:
1020:
1006:
1000:
999:
992:
986:
985:
981:Мистика и власть
975:
966:
965:
963:
961:
949:
935:
925:
921:Мистика и власть
914:
912:
911:
902:. Archived from
888:
873:
858:
856:
855:
843:Башмак Эмпедокла
836:
821:
764:
750:
736:
722:
708:
698:Mikhail Kasyanov
694:
680:
670:Sergei Stepashin
666:
639:Mikhail Kasyanov
631:Sergei Stepashin
480:Gennady Zyuganov
435:, who was bald.
421:
405:
391:
375:
361:
345:
331:
315:
301:
285:
271:
255:
241:
225:
211:
179:
163:
149:
121:
34:
27:
1076:
1075:
1071:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1066:
1065:
1026:
1025:
1024:
1008:
1007:
1003:
994:
993:
989:
982:
977:
976:
969:
959:
957:
951:
950:
946:
942:
932:
928:
922:
917:
909:
907:
896:
891:
881:
876:
866:
861:
853:
851:
844:
840:V. Kupriyanov.
839:
829:
824:
818:
813:
810:
777:
770:
765:
756:
754:Dmitry Medvedev
751:
742:
737:
728:
723:
714:
712:Mikhail Fradkov
709:
700:
695:
686:
681:
672:
667:
651:Dmitry Medvedev
643:Mikhail Fradkov
627:prime ministers
623:
574:
556:and a powerful
506:
501:
476:Leonid Brezhnev
472:
429:Georgy Malenkov
414:(2012–present)
413:
397:
395:Dmitry Medvedev
383:
367:
353:
337:
323:
307:
305:Leonid Brezhnev
293:
277:
275:Georgy Malenkov
263:
261:Lavrentiy Beria
247:
233:
217:
203:
185:
171:
155:
141:
104:Georgy Malenkov
95:
87:Dmitry Medvedev
53:Russian Emperor
23:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1074:
1072:
1064:
1063:
1058:
1053:
1051:Russian humour
1048:
1043:
1038:
1028:
1027:
1023:
1022:
1001:
987:
967:
943:
941:
938:
937:
936:
926:
915:
898:(in Russian).
889:
883:(in Russian).
880:С Новым гоном!
877:Alla Bossart.
874:
868:(in Russian).
859:
837:
831:(in Russian).
822:
809:
806:
805:
804:
799:
793:
788:
783:
776:
773:
772:
771:
766:
759:
757:
752:
745:
743:
740:Vladimir Putin
738:
731:
729:
724:
717:
715:
710:
703:
701:
696:
689:
687:
684:Vladimir Putin
682:
675:
673:
668:
661:
635:Vladimir Putin
622:
619:
611:Vladimir Lenin
573:
570:
546:Tsarina Sophia
505:
502:
500:
497:
471:
468:
445:Gennady Yanaev
433:Lavrenty Beria
423:
422:
415:
411:Vladimir Putin
407:
406:
399:
392:
385:
381:Vladimir Putin
377:
376:
369:
362:
355:
347:
346:
339:
332:
325:
317:
316:
309:
302:
295:
287:
286:
279:
272:
265:
257:
256:
249:
242:
235:
231:Vladimir Lenin
227:
226:
219:
212:
205:
197:
196:
187:
180:
173:
165:
164:
157:
150:
143:
135:
134:
131:
130:Hairy leaders
128:
125:
94:
91:
83:Vladimir Putin
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1073:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1033:
1031:
1018:
1017:
1012:
1005:
1002:
997:
991:
988:
983:
974:
972:
968:
955:
948:
945:
939:
934:(in Russian).
933:
927:
923:
916:
906:on 2008-04-10
905:
901:
897:
890:
886:
882:
875:
871:
867:
860:
850:on 2020-08-05
849:
845:
838:
834:
830:
823:
820:(in Russian).
819:
812:
811:
807:
803:
800:
797:
794:
792:
791:Redskins Rule
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
778:
774:
769:
763:
758:
755:
749:
744:
741:
735:
730:
727:
726:Viktor Zubkov
721:
716:
713:
707:
702:
699:
693:
688:
685:
679:
674:
671:
665:
660:
658:
656:
652:
648:
647:Viktor Zubkov
644:
640:
636:
632:
628:
620:
618:
616:
612:
608:
604:
600:
596:
595:Alexander III
592:
588:
584:
580:
571:
569:
567:
563:
559:
555:
551:
548:(a sister of
547:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
503:
495:
491:
489:
488:Boris Yeltsin
485:
481:
477:
469:
467:
465:
462:. During the
461:
456:
454:
450:
447:: during the
446:
441:
436:
434:
430:
420:
416:
412:
409:
408:
404:
400:
396:
393:
390:
386:
382:
379:
378:
374:
370:
366:
365:Boris Yeltsin
363:
360:
356:
352:
349:
348:
344:
340:
336:
333:
330:
326:
322:
321:Yuri Andropov
319:
318:
314:
310:
306:
303:
300:
296:
292:
289:
288:
284:
280:
276:
273:
270:
266:
262:
259:
258:
254:
250:
246:
245:Joseph Stalin
243:
240:
236:
232:
229:
228:
224:
220:
216:
213:
210:
206:
202:
199:
198:
192:
188:
184:
181:
178:
174:
170:
169:Alexander III
167:
166:
162:
158:
154:
151:
148:
144:
140:
137:
136:
132:
129:
126:
124:Bald leaders
123:
122:
119:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
92:
90:
88:
84:
79:
77:
73:
69:
65:
60:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
30:
26:
21:
1014:
1004:
990:
958:. Retrieved
947:
908:. Retrieved
904:the original
852:. Retrieved
848:the original
624:
615:Josef Stalin
593:was killed,
591:Alexander II
575:
561:
507:
493:
473:
457:
437:
426:
398:(2008–2012)
384:(2000–2008)
368:(1991–1999)
354:(1985–1991)
338:(1984–1985)
324:(1982–1984)
308:(1964–1982)
294:(1953–1964)
248:(1924–1953)
234:(1917–1924)
186:(1894–1917)
172:(1881–1894)
156:(1855–1881)
153:Alexander II
142:(1825–1855)
96:
80:
61:
57:Alexander II
19:
18:
895:Не дай Буш!
599:Nicholas II
587:Decembrists
579:Alexander I
572:Killed–died
514:Catherine I
449:August coup
201:Georgy Lvov
183:Nicholas II
1061:Human hair
1030:Categories
960:21 October
940:References
910:2011-09-25
854:2011-09-25
645:, "hairy"
637:, "hairy"
603:Michael II
597:died, and
583:Nicholas I
566:Feodor III
139:Nicholas I
106:, who was
100:Nicholas I
45:Nicholas I
20:Bald–hairy
1016:The Times
885:Gazeta.ru
653:, "bald"
641:, "bald"
633:, "bald"
534:Peter III
530:Elizabeth
504:Man–woman
453:President
133:Portrait
127:Portrait
72:Presidium
49:Alexander
25:‹See Tfd›
775:See also
562:de facto
518:Peter II
112:newsreel
872:online.
808:Sources
550:Peter I
526:Ivan VI
278:(1953)
264:(1953)
218:(1917)
204:(1917)
93:Pattern
74:of the
51:as the
37:Russian
29:Russian
1046:Adages
956:. WBUR
558:regent
554:Ivan V
470:Usage
64:Lenin
962:2013
552:and
542:Paul
522:Anna
85:and
41:bald
1032::
1013:.
970:^
540:,
536:,
532:,
528:,
524:,
520:,
516:,
512:,
31::
1019:.
964:.
913:.
887:.
857:.
835:.
22:(
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