Mult Lichnosti Lampoons Italian PM Having Problems with UAZ Patriot

VLADIVOSTOK. May 17. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Animated TV show Mult Lichnosti broadcast on Channel One surprised residents of the Russian Far East – instead of usual praising of Russian car industry the cartoon showed the bitter truth about the quality of Russian-made cars.

Animated figure of Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is shown trying angrily to find a cause of a breakdown in a new UAZ Patriot car, which was presented to him by Vladimir Putin. Incidentally, this car is said to have been assembled in Vladivostok-based Sollers Far East car-assembly plant. Mult Lichnosti (a play on words in Russian for "cult of personality") then depicts him dialing the support service of the Sollers plant and being answered: “If your car has broken on the first day – press 1, if on the second day – press 2.”

The Italian PM then starts swearing, half in Italian, half in Russian, and saying he wished he had never bought the Russian-made car.

The cartoon came as a surprise for residents of Primorsky Krai since the mere fact of its broadcasting on the central channel indicates that not all in European Russia see everything through rose-colored spectacles.

As a matter of fact, Silvio Berlusconi has never used the ‘miracle’ of the Russian car industry. A few days after the ‘Patriot’ was delivered to Italy, the Prime Minister gave the car to the Italian Ministry of Defense.