Since 2012, individuals adopting the name of theStar Wars characterDarth Vader (Ukrainian:Дарт Вейдер) have entered local, presidential, and parliamentary elections inUkraine.[1] "Vader" also participated in political and social activism, notably inOdesa Oblast.
On 14 February 2011, a man dressed as Darth Vader applied to theOdesa City Council for a free 10 acre plot of land. He explained that he had heard the council was giving away coastal land and wanted a share for himself, adding that "the city council members, the executive committee, and MayorKostusyev have turned to the Dark Side ofthe Force and will therefore help [him]."[2][3][4] The man was later identified as local public figure Zhan Nikolaienko, who said he was inspired by a joking remark from a politician that corruption in the council was so bad that even Darth Vader would have been issued a state act of land there.[1]
In July 2012, a man in a Darth Vader costume, wielding a chainsaw, "fought" against illegal parking lots near Odesa beaches.[5]
On 28 October 2012, during theparliamentary election, a man dressed as Darth Vader was denied a ballot at a polling station because he refused to remove his helmet, claiming he would die without it. Immediately after this incident, "Vader" began campaigning for his son,Luke Skywalker, even though there was no such person on the ballot. Nearby, a man in aChewbacca costume was also campaigning for Skywalker.[6] According to media reports, Darth Vader was one of the most popular candidates listed on spoiled ballots in the 2012 election.[7][8] Following the election, a billboard depicting Darth Vader with his hand on his heart and an inscription "Thank you for your trust!" was installed inKyiv.[7]
Since November 2012, Darth Vader was the first "deputy chairman" of theInternet Party of Ukraine. In December 2012, he distributed a "doomsday kit" to people atMaidan Nezalezhnosti, which included salt, soap, matches, toilet paper, condoms, light bulbs, as well as disks with theUbuntu operating system and "evacuation tickets".[9][10]
On 26 February 2013, "Darth Vader", accompanied by people dressed asStormtroopers, attempted to hand over documents confirming the legitimacy of the Internet Party of Ukraine to theMinister of Justice.[11]
In the2014 presidential election, the Internet Party of Ukraine tried to nominate Darth Vader;[12][13] but his registration was refused because his real identity could not be verified.[14] Darth Vader was a candidate at the 25 May2014 Kyiv mayoral election and the Odesamayoral election of the same day for the party.[15][16] In the2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election the party let Darth Vader along otherStar Wars characters such as Chewbacca,Padmé Amidala, andYoda run for seats in theUkrainian parliament.[17]
In 2015, a statue ofVladimir Lenin in Odesa was converted intoone of Darth Vader due to a law ondecommunization.[18] In the2015 local elections, the Odesa City Election Commission registered a list of candidates for city council deputies from the political party "Darth Vader Bloc", in which 44 out of 48 people had the name and surname Darth Vader.[19]
Among the people registered as Darth Vader who have been nominated for political positions in Ukraine were the following:
| Name(Romanization) | Name inCyrillic script | Date of birth | Election | Result (percent of votes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vader, Darth Andriiovych | Вейдер, Дарт Андрійович | 1 November 1992 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 2.6% |
| Vader, Darth Vasyliovych | Вейдер, Дарт Васильович | 4 August 1989 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.69% |
| Vader, Darth Viktorovych | Вейдер, Дарт Вікторович | 4 October 1987 | 2014 Kyiv local[21] | 1.61% |
| 2014 parliamentary[22] | 0.36% | |||
| 2019 parliamentary[23] | 1.71% | |||
| Vader, Darth Vitaliiovych | Вейдер, Дарт Віталійович | 9 September 1988 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.42% |
| Vader, Darth Volodymyrovych | Вейдер, Дарт Володимирович | 22 April 1979 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.82% |
| Vader, Darth Volodymyrovych | Вейдер, Дарт Володимирович | 5 August 1981 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 2.3% |
| Vader, Darth Volodymyrovych | Вейдер, Дарт Володимирович | 21 January 1984 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.84% |
| Vader, Darth Volodymyrovych | Вейдер, Дарт Володимирович | 8 August 1990 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.47% |
| 2015 Mykolaiv local[24] | 1.11% | |||
| Vader, Darth Volodymyrovych | Вейдер, Дарт Володимирович | 19 June 1991 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 2.38% |
| 2015 Kherson local[25] | 0.96% | |||
| Vader, Darth Ivanovych | Вейдер, Дарт Іванович | 18 March 1980 | 2015 Odesa Regional Council[26] | 2.16% |
| Vader, Darth Leonidovych | Вейдер, Дарт Леонідович | 16 June 1990 | 2015 Kyiv local[27] | 0.62% |
| Vader, Darth Mykolaiovych | Вейдер, Дарт Миколайович | 20 July 1982 | 2014 Odesa local[28] | 3.92% |
| 2015 Odesa local[29] | 1.83% | |||
| 2020 Odesa local[30] | 0.47% | |||
| Vader, Darth Mykhailovych | Вейдер, Дарт Михайлович | 2 July 1980 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 2.17% |
| Vader, Darth Olehovych | Вейдер, Дарт Олегович | 18 February 1991 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 3.96% |
| 2015 Kharkiv Regional Council[31] | 0.98% | |||
| Vader, Darth Oleksandrivna | Вейдер, Дарт Олександрівна | 3 August 1994 | 2015 Odesa Regional Council[32] | 2.16% |
| Vader, Darth Oleksiiovych | Вейдер, Дарт Олексійович | 10 January 1956 | 2014 presidential[33] | refused |
| Vader, Darth Pavlovych | Вейдер, Дарт Павлович | 29 October 1981 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 2.23% |
| Vader, Darth Stanislavovych | Вейдер, Дарт Станіславович | 29 October 1981 | 2014 parliamentary[20] | 1.99% |
| Vader, Darth Yuriiovych | Вейдер, Дарт Юрійович | 22 September 1994 | 2015 Odesa Regional Council[26] | 2.16% |
