The aim of this essay is to analyse certain succinct statements of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. His rhetorical style in general, and these statements in particular, are distinguishing Putin from other Russian political figures. The statements have survived the test of time and lived on in the media, on the internet and in the vernacular. They have come to be called Putinisms.The essay is descriptive and treats these special statements, describes where and how they came into being and analyses them on a micro level, word by word. The analysis is also qualitative as it covers selected statements, which represent only a small portion of all the statements made by Putin within the time frame chosen for this study. In order to conduct a comprehensive analysis of these, much energy has been focused on discerning the rhetorical devices appearing in his statements and classifying them. The lexical, syntactic, stylistic and pragmatic aspects of the statements are then observed and analysed. The second chapter discusses material and method, with a brief declaration of the basis for the choices made. Then follows a brief review of Western rhetoric to date, showing exactly where within this broad field of political rhetoric this essay belongs. Some of the basic ideas and concepts in the field of rhetoric are described with the aim to give the reader a solid understanding of these concepts. This will permit the reader to then grasp the more specific theories selected for and applied to the statements. In the analysis of chapter five, thirty-four statements have been chosen and analysed based on the theories in chapter four. Note that for some statements additional theory specific to the example will given, complimenting the general theories in chapter four. The concluding chapter compiles general patterns and sheds light on what makes Putins' statements exceptional and the reasons for their subsequent proliferation and popularity. The main conclusion is that when it comes to Putins' statements, the more maladroit and unexpected they are, often verging on inappropriate and brutal, the more they attract attention and subsequently gain popularity in wide ranging aspects of the Russian language.
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