Russian MP Charged After Posting Photo With Noodles In His Ears During Putin Speech

Mikhail Abdalkin, a Russian regional politician, will have to appear in court next week on charges of dishonoring the Russian military. This comes after he posted a video of himself on the social media website VKontakte, the Russian version of Facebook, watching President Vladimir Putin‘s state of the nation speech with spaghetti noodles hanging over his ears.

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In Russia, “to hang noodles on someone’s ears” is an idiom that means to tell lies.

“I fully support. I agree with everything. Great speech. Haven’t heard anything like that in 23 years. Pleasantly surprised,” he wrote in the caption.

Abdalkin, a Communist party lawmaker in the Samara region, said that his case would be heard on March 7.

In his two-hour speech last Tuesday, Putin blamed Ukraine and the West for the war and promised a “victory” for Russia.

The address announced Russia’s withdrawal in the most recent nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S.

Abdalkin’s action was a rare incident of opposition. Russia has made criticizing the war illegal, jailing or fining people who do so.

Russian journalist and politician Alexander Khinshtein criticized Abdalkin’s conduct, saying it “would be more suitable for a Ukrainian, not a Russian lawmaker.” He continued, stating, “I do hope the Communist Party’s leadership will get him in line – that is, if their pledges to support the president and rally behind him are not just words.”

Moscow has been filled with rumors of Putin’s poor health in recent months as an explanation for his reckless decision-making.