The Consul of Poldavia is a diplomat who appears in The Blue Lotus.
History[]
He is an opium addict who, one evening, goes to the Blue Lotus, an opium den. The staff suspect him of being their enemy, Tintin, in disguise and attack him. Under threat he takes a gun from his pocket but can only fire a wild shot before being disarmed. He is then taken before the gang leader Mitsuhirato who pulls the Consul's hair and beard, only to discover that they are genuine. Released, the furious Consul leaves, threatening dire consequences for his treatment.
Inspiration[]
The term "Poldavia" had been popularised a few years earlier in 1929 when several left-wing members of the French parliament had received letters urging them to aid the oppressed people of Poldavia. Some of them had written back expressing support and requesting further details, but the whole thing was a prank instigated by journalist Alain Mellet, a member of the extreme right-wing Action Française (see "Le Grand canular" by Jacques Franju, published in 1963).