A court in Saratov fined Aleksandr Strygin 500 rubles (~17 USD) for posting the picture five times on Facebook and LiveJournal, declaring him guilty of an administrative statute against “propaganda or public demonstration of Nazi symbols.”

While the amount of the fine is not itself very damaging, Strygin worries that his planned electoral run for Saratov Regional Duma representative may now be in jeopardy. As an activist from the local branch of the unregistered oppositionist People’s Freedom Party, the blogger said that the court’s ruling might be used as an excuse to keep him from running for the post in the upcoming October election.

The case against Strygin was filed by the Saratov branch of the federal Center for Extremism Prevention, commonly known as Center “E.” The center is notorious for persecuting opposition figures under the guise of fighting extremism.

Strygin noted that when it became clear he would be charged for the posts, he came to woe the fact these are the sort of “crimes” that Russian taxpayer money is spent to uncover.

An annotation says that the book is intended “for older children.” The author, Irina Konnova, is trained as a topographer.

The first of twenty-one poems in the full-color publication directly references Russia’s problematically low birthrate:

Our Homeland of Russia
Uncle Putin steered.
“Be a country great, strong,” –
One day he did dream.

Only, how without the little ones?
Among us they are very few!
Then he read a lot of books
And gave an order to the country:

“Just one babe for every mom?!
That’s not much! It must be two!”
And now in our native land
Kiddies suddenly appeared.

They are many…they are beautiful
Just like flowers, here and there.
Young children in Russia now
Have the name of PUTINYATA!

Vladimir Lenin is often referred to in Russia as “Uncle Lenin.”

The book follows a recent trend of both Kremlin-backed and independent publications that attempt to garner popularity among Russian youth for Putin and his governing United Russia party. United Russia has been noted on numerous occasions for its agitation in Russian schools, including an order by former President Putin to introduce history textbooks that call Josef Stalin “the most successful Soviet leader ever.” Booklets picturing bear cubs (a take on President Medvedev’s surname) and the United Russia logo have been distributed to students, and a children’s organization based on party ideology called “Medvezheta” has appeared in several regions.

Full-page scans of the book can be seen by clicking here (Russian).

Nikolai Lykov, editor-in-chief of the Vzglyad news portal, said Rogozhin was rushed to the hospital with severe bruising and cut wounds.  His health remained on edge after doctors operated well into the night.

“The operation, which lasted several hours, was over at around two in the morning,” Lykov said.  “The surgeons, doctors from the 1st city hospital, did everything possible, but they could not give any guarantees.  Vadim still has not regained consciousness, and remains in intensive care.  At this point everything depends on him, on his strength.”

Local law enforcement have launched a criminal investigation under article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code (Intentional Infliction of a Grave Injury).

Rogozhin’s colleagues believe the attackers intended to take the journalist’s life, and said the attack could be connected with his professional activities.  Rogozhin heads the Vzglyad media holding, comprised of an online newspaper, an internet TV station and the Saratovsky Vzglyad newspaper.

The Russian Union of Journalists and local media heads in Saratov released a statement on the incident, pledging support for Rogozhin.  To raise public awareness on the dangers faced by reporters, several Saratov newspapers will publish white spots on the first lines of their front cover pages, the statement said.  The stunt aims to bring attention to the pressure journalists face from the criminal world.

The statement goes on to say that journalists remain the most defenseless “fighters for a just world order.”  “The government must have the will and the means to protect the journalist’s work from criminal lawlessness,” it adds.

Lidiya Zlatogorskaya, the chair of the Saratov branch of the Russian Union of Journalists, said the attack could be connected with Rogozhin’s writing.  The journalist “stepped on the interests of many,” in his articles, she told the Kasparov.ru online newspaper (Rus).  The incident was also likely an attempt to intimidate other media workers, she said.

According to Zlatogorskaya, attacks on journalists in Saratov are fairly common.

“God grant that he recovers.  We are very concerned.”