Many have lamented that since the demise of the puppet show Kukli, which was taken off the air in 2002, allegedly following pressure from the Kremlin, the place once held by Russian political satire has remained sorrily empty.  Earlier this month, Russian viewers were deprived of the sight of a comedy sketch which lampooned Medvedev dancing like a wall flower after it was pulled from state TV before it could be aired, one of the many examples of how difficult it is to employ humor when dealing with Russia’s ruling elite.  The prospect of Putin’s return to the Presidency has however sparked an unmitigated barrage of new jokes.  If Putin’s going to face this repository of comedy gold, he may need a sense of humor transplant (as well as a hair transplant) to see him through the next ten years.  From the Moscow Times:

 “Satire always offers the sharpest and most accurate diagnosis of societies’ problems. Tell me what a country is laughing about, and I’ll tell you what kind of country it is,” satirist and writer Viktor Shenderovich said. “Today that is Putin and his United Russia party. In the last few days, the Internet has filled up with caricatures and jokes depicting a Brezhnev-like Putin: The analogy is obvious.”

The jokes about Putin in recent years tended to underline his role as a strong leader at the expense of Medvedev, who was often portrayed as a puppet. But a new type of joke has now emerged, Shenderovich said.