Chernomyrdinka

A chernomyrdinka (Russian: Черномы́рдинка; plural: Черномы́рдинки) or a chernomyrdinism^[1] is a quotation, often a malapropism or a gaffe, attributed to the former Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. Many of them entered the everyday Russian lexicon. The most famous example^[2] is "We wanted the best, but it turned out as always", uttered in the context of Russia's efforts in economic reforms, namely the monetary reform in Russia, 1993.^[3][4]

Chernomyrdin did not try to be smart, chernomyrdinkas were produced naturally. Even when they sounded funny, people have found a deeper meaning in them.^[4] They were produced after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when country leadership, including Chernomyrdin, attempted to speak "not from the paper sheet" (in other words, not in a scripted fashion) and without bureaucratisms typical of the late Soviet Union.^[5] Russian journalist Dmitry Travin [ru] writes that chernomyrdinkas often reflected the spirit of the epoch better than thick books of writers and philosophers.^[6]

Russian writer and satirist Victor Shenderovich is quoted to say that he envies Chernomyrdin: a writer toils hard, but Chernomyrdin just opens his mouth, and here you go: a brilliant quote is here.^[7]

The Orenburg gas processing plant [ru], whose first director was Chernomyrdin, on the occasion of its 45th anniversary opened a park dedicated to Chernomyrdin and adorned it with plaques with chernomyrdinkas.^[8]