Mikhalkov Told An Absurd Story About "Putin's Grandfather"

• 10.06.2026, 10:43

It reminds me of Soviet propaganda about "Grandpa Lenin."

In their quest to win the Kremlin’s favor, Russia’s cultural and media elite continue to spin myths around the Russian dictator’s family—myths that increasingly resemble the absurd Soviet propaganda about “Grandpa Lenin.”

According to Censor.NET, the well-known Russian director and ardent state propagandist Nikita Mikhalkov has distinguished himself with yet another display of flattery and the creation of a cult of personality.

On the air of one of the propaganda outlets, Mikhalkov, with a serious expression on his face, told a “unique” and highly unrealistic story about the incredible mercy shown by Vladimir Putin’s own grandfather during World War I, allegedly on the Austrian front. According to the director, the dictator’s ancestor managed to outmaneuver an enemy rifleman, wound him, and then perform a “historic feat” that is supposedly unparalleled in the world.

“You know, I’ll tell you a story about Putin’s grandfather. He fought in World War I on the Austrian front. And he peered over the parapet and saw an Austrian aiming at him. And he managed to fire first. And he wounded that Austrian. And so he’s sitting in his trench, and the other guy is moaning—he’s in pain—he’s wounded. He sits there, listening. He waited until nightfall, climbed over the parapet, crawled over to the Austrian, and used his own bandage to dress his wound. Then he crawled back before anyone saw him, so he wouldn’t be shot for treason. "Can you name even one soldier in world history who did that?" Mikhalkov declared grandly.