Yuri Ivanov

We would like to formally congratulate Yuri Ivanov for his extraordinary efforts to help world citizens in the former Soviet Socialist Republics.  His tireless enthusiasm for what is Right and True have earned him the Hero of the People award, which is reserved for those world citizens whose contributions significantly advance the cause of the GNU Public Dictatorship.  Congratulations, Yuri.

Yuri was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1919.  His childhood was mostly unremarkable as he worked with his family in a subsistence farm.  The creation of the Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic had little effect on his family, as did the merger with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics a few years later.  In fact, Yuri and his family were about as far from politics as was possible.  He never attended formal schooling, but he often wrote letters to his local government officials asking them to take action to stop the spread of pernicious office implements and to educate the public on the ill effects these had on society.  His efforts were mostly ignored, but in 1933 he was formally asked to stop petitioning on the matter.  He was quite frustrated and retreated into himself.  He saved up enough money to buy a wagon and became a travelling salesman.  While he did make enough to subsist on, his real goal was to spread his message to villagers everywhere.  He was successful in avoiding notice for many years, but in 1938 he was again asked to stop spreading such nonsense.  Frustrated with his local government he moved around frequently, always encountering government officials who, sometimes politely, sometimes not so politely, asked him to stop preaching "his new religion."

For many years Yuri avoided the government officials (and the second World War) and built relationships with villagers all around the USSR.  He learned many trades and earned three doctorates and several other advanced degrees (but couldn't receive them officially because he was not in good favor with the government) in diverse subjects such as metallurgy, political science, and nutrition.

When we first met Yuri in 1999 we were astounded at the clarity with which he perceived the problems with brads and hole punches, and we offered him a position on the Board of Dictators.  He declined, saying that the years were beginning to wear him down and he didn't want the fame that would come with such an appointment.  Instead, he helped establish several local GPD chapters.  Once he had got them up and running Yuri decided to become an operative, and his intelligence has been instrumental on many occasions in thwarting the enemies of the people.  Yuri is turning 93 this year and has officially retired from his responsibilities so that he can focus on his decoupage.  Yuri has been a great asset and has been tireless in spreading our message even before we were born.  Thanks, Yuri, you really are a Hero of the People.