Russian Communists Outraged as Leader Shows up to Stalin Memorial Wearing Adidas Track Suit

CofCC
May 20, 2014

You just can’t make this stuff up.

Communists in Russia were outraged when their leader showed up to honor mass murderer Joseph Stalin in an Adidas track suit. Not because it would classless to wear a track suit to a memorial, but because Adidas is a symbol of “capitalist swank.”

The article doesn’t even mention that Addidas founder Adi Dassler and his brother were both members of the Nazi party and their family shoe company made boots for the German army during WWII. After the war, the Dassler Brothers shoe company split because the two brother hated each other. Many western German clothing company owners, such as the famous Hugo Boss, had their companies taken away by the Americans. Both brothers apparently accused each other of being bigger supporters of the Nazis. However, both were allowed to continue making shoes, possibly because of influential American friends. Adi started Adidas and his older brother Benjamin started Puma.

From English Language Moscow Times Website…

Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov caused a stir on the Russian blogosphere for laying flowers at the grave of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin while wearing an Adidas tracksuit jacket.

A Twitter user who registered under the name “Josef Stalin” quipped: “Zyuganov showed up in an Adidas tracksuit top, a white shirt and dress shoes. [I’d have had him] shot for this outfit!”

Zyuganov made the dress code blunder on Sunday at a ceremony on Red Square to mark the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of the pioneers, a Soviet-era Communist youth organization.

He told the Russian News Service radio station that he wore it because “nobody makes good tracksuits yet in our country.” He did not specify why he had to wear a tracksuit jacket at all, but perhaps it was its red color that made the Communist leader warm to the garb.

His gaffe may have caught people’s attention because Adidas goods symbolized capitalist swank for many Soviet people under the Communist regime.

Zyuganov said that the German firm now makes uniforms for the Communist Party’s football team, however.

“I was wearing our team’s uniform,” Zyuganov was quoted as saying.
“They buy what is available in stores. I don’t have any [advertising] agreements with Adidas,” he added, according to Russian News Service.

Some users of Russian social networks suggested that instead of a bow to the capitalism, the political system that won the Cold War, Zyuganov’s dress choice was a sign of solidarity with another Communist regime.

“Calm down: This is [made in] China,” a Twitter user said.