![Russian ship, go f yourself](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Russian_ship%2C_go_f_yourself._Bright._2.jpg)
"Russian warship, go fuck yourself",, uk, Російський військовий корабель, іди нахуй, translit= Rosiiskii viiskovyi korabel, idy nakhui was the last communication made on 24 February 2022 during the
Russian attack on Snake Island in Ukraine's territorial waters by border guard Roman Hrybov to the Russian missile cruiser
''Moskva''. The phrase, and derivatives of the phrase, became widely adopted during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
in protests and demonstrations around the world.
[ Weeks later, the phrase was commemorated on a postage stamp by ]Ukrposhta
JSC Ukrainian Postal Service or Ukrposhta ( uk, Укрпошта) is the national postal service of Ukraine. It is a public company with 100% state ownership due to its strategic importance. In 1999–2015 it was a unitary enterprise of the gov ...
, the Ukrainian postal service.
The Ukrainian border guards were captured by the Russian Navy in the attack. During Hrybov's captivity, his family applied for a defensive trademark
Trademark dilution is a trademark law concept giving the owner of a famous trademark Standing (law), standing to forbid others from using that mark in a way that would lessen its uniqueness. In most cases, trademark dilution involves an unauthori ...
on the slogan.[ On his release, Hrybov was awarded a medal for his actions at the end of March.][
On 13 April 2022, one day after the first issue of the commemorative stamp, the ''Moskva'' was critically damaged by an explosion caused by Ukrainian ]anti-ship missiles
An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good nu ...
and sank the following day.
Background
Encounter
On 24 February 2022, the Russian flagship cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
'' Moskva'', and patrol boat '' Vasily Bykov'', began an assault
An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
on Snake Island, a Ukrainian island located in the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
. It is a small island with a single village populated by fewer than 30 people, that had a contingent of 13 border guards
A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Germany, Italy or Ukraine) and rescue service duties.
Name and uniform
In diff ...
stationed on the island at the time of the attack. The ''Moskva'' called on the soldiers to surrender in return for their safety, which was firmly declined by the defenders.
The exchange, which took place in Russian, has been translated as:
"Ukrainian 1" is believed to be Roman Hrybov (also transliterated ''Gribov''). Author and academic Alex Abramovich, writing in the ''London Review of Books
The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews.
History
The ''London Review of ...
'', noted that a more literal translation of "", transliterated as "Idi na khuy", is "Go to a dick", or more idiomatically "Go sit on a dick".
Subsequently, Snake Island was captured by the Russian naval forces, and the thirteen soldiers defending it were thought to have been killed in the Russian assault. Ukrainian president
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
announced he would "posthumously" award the soldiers on Snake Island with the highest Ukrainian honour, the Hero of Ukraine
Hero of Ukraine (HOU; uk, Герой України, ''Heroi Ukrainy'') is the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as ...
.
Aftermath
On 28 February 2022, the Ukrainian Navy
The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...
announced that all of the border guards were alive and detained by the Russian Navy. On 24 March 2022, some of the Snake Island border guards, including Roman Hrybov, were returned to Ukraine in a prisoner exchange. On 29 March 2022, Hrybov returned to his native Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast ( uk, Черка́ська о́бласть, Cherkaska oblast, ), also referred to as Cherkashchyna ( uk, Черка́щина, ) is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center ...
, and was given a medal for his actions.
On 13 April 2022, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych
Oleksii Mykolaiovych Arestovych ( uk, Олексій Миколайович Арестович; born 3 August 1975) is a Ukrainian intelligence officer, blogger, actor, political and military columnist, and propagandist. He was a speaker of th ...
and Odesa governor Maksym Marchenko
Maksym Mykhaylovych Marchenko (; born 10 February 1983) is a Ukrainian colonel, former commander of the 28th Mechanized Brigade and the Aidar Battalion of the Ukrainian Ground Forces and the Governor of Odesa Oblast since 1 March 2022.
Biogra ...
said that ''Moskva'' had been hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles and was on fire in rough seas. A source at the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
in the US later confirmed that ''Moskva'' had been hit by Ukrainian missiles. Russian state-owned news agencies said the ship was badly damaged and its crew was evacuated due to a "fire" from "detonated ammunition." The ship sank while being towed to a naval base.
Reception
We Stand with Ukraine 2022 Helsinki - Finland (51905452481).jpg, Phrase on signs in demonstration in Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland (26 February 2022).
RTVM-20220226-001001 (51905362061).jpg, Phrase on signs in demonstration in Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(26 February 2022).
Protests in Poznań - against Russian aggression in Ukraine (51906230730).jpg, Protest in Poznań (Poland) using the phrase (26 February 2022).
Brno-Dominikánské-nám-protest-proti-válce-na-Ukrajině2022s.jpg, Anti-war rally in Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
using the phrase in Russian (27 February 2022).
Protesting Invasion of Ukraine TLV 260222 05.jpg, Phrase used in protests in Habima Square
Habima Square ( he, כיכר הבימה, lit. ''The Stage's Square'', also known as The Orchestra Plaza) is a public major space in the center of Tel Aviv, Israel, which is home to a number of cultural institutions such as the Habima Theatre, the ...
, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
(26 February 2022).
Rally in support of Ukraine in Columbus, Ohio, United States, 26 February 2022 (51906586684).jpg, Rally in support of Ukraine in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, United States, using the phrase (26 February 2022).
Message to a Russian Battleship (51911787865).jpg, The phrase on a sign in a protest in London, England (26 February 2022).
Recordings of the exchange became widely circulated on the internet and went viral on various social media platforms, and it has since become a rallying cry by both the Ukrainian military and civilians protesting the invasion.
US Senator Ben Sasse
Benjamin Eric Sasse ( ; born February 22, 1972) is an American politician and academic administrator serving as the junior United States senator for Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Born in Plainview, Nebraska, Sass ...
mentioned the phrase while speaking on the Senate floor
The United States Senate Chamber is a room in the north wing of the United States Capitol that has served as the legislative chamber of the United States Senate, since January 4, 1859. The Senate first convened in its current meeting place afte ...
on 28 February: "One Ukrainian after conversing with some of his colleagues a little bit on a recording that many who may have now heard, decided to turn up the volume and he announced, 'Russian warship, '. ..That is now the rallying cry of the Ukrainian resistance".
Andrew Keen
Andrew Keen (born c. 1960Saracevic, Alan T. (15 October 2006)Debate 2.0 / Weighing the merits of the new Webocracy.''San Francisco Chronicle'' ("Age: 46")) is a British-American entrepreneur and author. He is particularly known for his view tha ...
writing in the ''Literary Hub
Literary Hub is a daily literary website that launched in 2015 by Grove Atlantic president and publisher Morgan Entrekin, American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame editor Terry McDonell, and Electric Literature founder Andy Hunter.
Conten ...
'' noted that as a result of the slogan, "Even the f-word had been weaponized" and that it was now a "popular internet meme of resistance to the Russian invasion". ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' said that "Ukraine is fighting back, one swear word at a time".
On 21 March 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
posted an image on its official Telegram channel that reads "Never anger a Russian warship". (Никогда не злите русский военный корабль)
Historical comparisons
''The Week
''The Week'' is a weekly news magazine with editions in the United Kingdom and United States. The British publication was founded in 1995 and the American edition in 2001. An Australian edition was published from 2008 to 2012. A children's edi ...
'' compared the phrase to "Remember the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a siege of the Alamo, 13-day siege, Mexico, Mexican troops under president of Mexico, President Antonio López de Santa Anna, Gen ...
" from the 19th century Texas Revolution. The ''Small Wars Journal
The ''Small Wars Journal'' (''SWJ'') is an online magazine focusing on intrastate conflict. Aside from its online magazine, ''SWJ'' hosts an accompanying blog and the Small Wars Council discussion board. Other site features include an online refer ...
'' likened the phrase to other notable battle taunts such as "Molon labe
''Molon labe'' ( grc, μολὼν λαβέ, molṑn labé), meaning 'come and take hem, is a classical expression of defiance.
It is among the Laconic phrases reported by Plutarch, attributed to King Leonidas I in reply to the demand by Xerx ...
" (from the Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae ( ; grc, Μάχη τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν, label=Greek, ) was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes I and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Lasting o ...
), and " Nuts!" (from the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
), amongst others.
The phrase also has been compared to another moment in Ukraine's history, the alleged 17th-century correspondence between the Ottoman sultan and the Cossacks
The Correspondence between the Ottoman sultan and the Cossacks, also variously known as the Correspondence between the Cossacks and the Ottoman/Turkish sultan, is a collection of apocryphal letters claiming to be between a sultan of the Ottoman ...
(popularised by the 19th-century painting ''Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks
''Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks'' is a painting by Ilya Repin. It is also known as ''Cossacks of Saporog Are Drafting a Manifesto'' and in Russian, (russian: Запорожцы пишут письмо турецкому султану, Zap ...
''), when a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...
(usually identified as Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV ( ota, محمد رابع, Meḥmed-i rābi; tr, IV. Mehmed; 2 January 1642 – 6 January 1693) also known as Mehmed the Hunter ( tr, Avcı Mehmed) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687. He came to the throne at the a ...
) demanded the surrender of either the Chyhyryn
Chyhyryn ( uk, Чигирин, ) is a city and historic site located in Cherkasy Raion of Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. From 1648 to 1669 the city was a Hetman residence. After a forced relocation of the Ruthenian Orthodox metropolitan see ...
Cossacks
The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
or the Zaporozhian Cossacks
The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporoz ...
(who lived in modern Central Ukraine
Central Ukraine ( uk, Центральна Україна, ''Tsentralna Ukraina'') consists of historical regions of left-bank Ukraine and right-bank Ukraine that reference to the Dnipro River. It is situated away from the Black Sea Littoral N ...
), who allegedly refused and answered with a profanity-laden letter.
Continued use
By individuals
On 26 February 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
blew up a railway junction
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge. This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes (assuming they are of the same gauge), provided by ''points'' ( ...
connecting Ukrainian and Russian railways to prevent the Russian army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...
from transporting military equipment and personnel into Ukraine by rail. When the Russian military asked Ukraine to restore the junction for humanitarian reasons, the Ukrainian dispatcher replied, "Russian train, go fuck yourself!".
On 27 February 2022, a Russian ship approached a Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
oil tanker to ask for fuel. The latter replied "Russian ship, go fuck yourself" (). When the Russians complained that they were almost out of fuel, they were told to use their oars.
On 7 March 2022, the Russian ship '' Vasily Bykov'', which previously attacked Snake Island and was approaching Odesa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative ...
, was allegedly hit by Ukrainian defence forces. They then celebrated, saying "We fucking hit them!" and "Russian ship, go fuck yourself."
On 4 April 2022, US Magistrate Judge
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
Zia M. Faruqui approved a Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
request for a warrant to seize
Seize may refer to:
*Seisin, legal possession
*Seizing, a class of knots used to semi-permanently bind together two ropes
*Seize (band), a British electronic band
*The jamming of machine parts against each other, usually due to insufficient lubri ...
the yacht ''Tango'' owned by oligarch Viktor Vekselberg
Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg (russian: Виктор Феликсович Вексельберг, uk, Віктор Феліксович Вексельберг; born April 14, 1957) is a Ukrainian-born Russian–Israeli-Cyprus oligarch, billion ...
. Judge Faruqui concluded his order alluding to the slogan, saying "The Department of Justice's seizure echoes the message of the brave Ukrainian soldiers of Snake Island."
On 25 May 2022, Ukrainian flash cartridge maker, Krikzz, released a limited edition EverDrive for the Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
featuring a label based on the commemorative stamp with all profit from the sales donated to the defense of Ukraine.
In multi-media
In March 2022, Ukrainian band Botashe released a song titled "PNH" (), which predominantly features the phrase.
On 29 March 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* Som ...
released the "Ukrainian military Oscars" (in tandem with the 94th Academy Awards
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after its u ...
) and gave the award for Best Picture to the sinking of the ''Saratov
Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
'' on 21 March, in Berdiansk
Berdiansk or Berdyansk ( uk, Бердя́нськ, translit=Berdiansk, ; russian: Бердя́нск, translit=Berdyansk ) is a port city in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast (Oblast, province) in south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the ...
, and to which it ascribed the mock-film title, "Russian Warship, Go F*** Yourself in Berdyansk".
On 27 May, the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
The Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine ( uk, Національна суспільна телерадіокомпанія України, Natsionalna Suspilna Teleradiokompaniia Ukrainy; abbr. NSTU), shortened to Suspilne ( uk, Суспіль ...
announced that the stations of Ukrainian Radio
Ukrainian Radio ( uk, Українське радіо) is the publicly funded radio broadcaster in Ukraine since 1924. In 2017 has been merged with national TV company into country's public broadcaster Suspilne. would air a twice-daily segment debunking Russian disinformation, titled "Russian fake, go..." ().
Commemorative stamps
Design
On 1 March 2022, Ukrposhta
JSC Ukrainian Postal Service or Ukrposhta ( uk, Укрпошта) is the national postal service of Ukraine. It is a public company with 100% state ownership due to its strategic importance. In 1999–2015 it was a unitary enterprise of the gov ...
, the Ukrainian postal service, launched a stamp design competition on the theme of the phrase. On 12 March 2022, the First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova
Emine Aiiarovna Dzhaparova (or Dzheppar; , ; born 5 May 1983) is a Crimean Tatar-Ukrainian journalist, editor, television presenter, and politician. She was appointed the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in 2020.
Personal lif ...
announced that artist Borys Grokh's work won the popular vote of Ukrposhta for the sketch for the stamp. Fact-checking site Snopes
''Snopes'' , formerly known as the ''Urban Legends Reference Pages'', is a Fact checking, fact-checking website. It has been described as a "well-regarded reference for sorting out myths and rumors" on the Internet. The site has also been see ...
said that Grokh had lived in Yevpatoria
Yevpatoria ( uk, Євпаторія, Yevpatoriia; russian: Евпатория, Yevpatoriya; crh, , , gr, Ευπατορία) is a city of regional significance in Western Crimea, north of Kalamita Bay. Yevpatoria serves as the administrative ...
in the Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
all his life and was studying to be an artist, but as a result of the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, he was forced to leave his home and had moved to Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
and later to Lviv
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
. Snopes quoted that Ukrposhta encouraged Ukrainians to send the same to their "friends abroad or send a fiery "hello" to the Russians". Ukrposhta issued the set of commemorative postage stamps
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the fa ...
on 12 April.
The stamps feature a drawing of a Ukrainian soldier presenting the middle finger to the Russian cruiser . The overall layout with the ochre land underneath the blue sea mimics the colours of the Flag of Ukraine
The flag of Ukraine ( uk, Прапор України, Prapor Ukrainy) consists of equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow.
The blue and yellow bicolour first appeared during the 1848 Spring of Nations in Lemberg, then part of the ...
. The special postmark accompanying the stamp shows the outline of Snake Island. The stamp design is available in both domestic and foreign version. President Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
had his picture taken with the stamps and commented that Russian warships should only sail in one direction.
Production and sales
Roman Hrybov and the head of the Ukrainian Post Office, Ihor Smyljanskyj, signed the first special envelopes with the stamps at the Kyiv Main Post Office. The stamp proved popular in Ukraine with thousands queuing on its release in Kyiv. Over 1 million were scheduled for print, of which 700,000 were sold across Ukraine by 20 April. 200,000 were reserved for sale in areas under Russian occupation including Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
, and 100,000 were reserved for sale online starting on 20 April.
On 21 April, the website of the Ukrainian post office went offline, and Director General Ihor Smilianskyi reported on Facebook that the site had been hit with a distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Although Smilianskyi did not name a perpetrator, various outlets speculated that Russia's GRU
The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́вное управле́ние Генера́льного шта́ба Вооружённых сил Росси́йской Федера́ци ...
was likely responsible for the cyberattack, and that it had done so in retaliation for the sale of the stamps.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone also issued similar stamps on 23 June 2022.stamperija.eu - 2022 SIERRA LEONE, FAMOUS PAINTING OF BORIS GROH
/ref>
Trademarking
On 17 March 2022, ''World Trademark Review
''World Trademark Review'' is a website and magazine covering the commercial and international practice of trademark law. Subscribers receive a print magazine once every other month and a daily email newsletter featuring news stories, feature arti ...
'' (''WTR'') reported that lawyers for Hrybov, through his family and the Ukrainian military, had filed for an EU trademark for the slogan in both Cyrillic script
The Cyrillic script ( ), Slavonic script or the Slavic script, is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic languages, Slavic, Turkic languages, Turkic, Mongolic languages, ...
and in English.[ The lawyers told ''WTR'' that it was needed to respond to hostile filings by clothing companies in the United States and in Lithuania who were also seeking to trademark the slogan.] Techdirt
Techdirt is an American Internet blog that reports on technology's legal challenges and related business and economic policy issues, in context of the digital revolution. It focuses on intellectual property, patent, information privacy and cop ...
commented that it was a "depressing coda to an otherwise inspiring story", but that the fact that the slogan had reached meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
status from which others were profiting had likely changed the situation.
See also
Famous military quotes as answer to similar threats:
* ''" Je vous répondrai par la bouche de mes canons!"'' ("I will answer you with the mouths of my cannons"), shortened version of Frontenac's historic response at the Battle of Quebec (1690)
The Battle of Québec was fought in October 1690 between the colonies of New France and Massachusetts Bay, then ruled by the kingdoms of France and England, respectively. It was the first time Québec's defences were tested.
Following the capt ...
* "''Mich ergeben! Auf Gnad und Ungnad! Mit wem redet Ihr! Bin ich ein Räuber! Sag deinem Hauptmann: Vor Ihro Kaiserliche Majestät hab ich, wie immer, schuldigen Respekt. Er aber, sag’s ihm, er kann mich im Arsche lecken!"'' ("Surrender myself! To mercy and disgrace! Who are you talking to! Am I a robber! Tell your captain that I respect His Imperial Majesty, as always. But he, tell him, he can lick me in my ass!"), response of the besieged German knight Götz von Berlichingen
Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen (1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, was a German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary, and poet. He was born around 1480 into the noble family of Berliching ...
according to Goethe's 1773 play, known as the so-called ''Swabian salute'' or ''Götz' quote''; in reality, the besieger was Götz himself
* ''"La garde meurt mais ne se rend pas
The Imperial Guard (French: ''Garde Impériale'') was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he ...
" (''"The Guard dies but does not surrender!"'')'' and "''Merde!''" ("shit", figuratively "go to hell"), historic response of French General Pierre Cambronne
Pierre Jacques Étienne Cambronne, later Pierre, 1st Viscount Cambronne (26 December 1770 – 29 January 1842), was a general of the First French Empire. A main strategist of the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, he was wounded at the ...
to a request to surrender at the Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
(1815)
* "''España prefiere honra sin barcos a barcos sin honra"'' (Spain prefers honor without ships than ships without honor), answer of Spanish rear admiral Casto Méndez Núñez
Casto Secundino María Méndez Núñez (July 1, 1824 – August 21, 1869) was a Spanish naval officer. In 1866 during the Chincha Islands War between Spain, Peru and Chile, he was general commander of the Spanish fleet in the Pacific. As such, h ...
to US general Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (January 14, 1836 – December 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile and an unsuccessful candi ...
's threat of using the US Navy to prevent the Bombardment of Valparaíso
The Bombardment of Valparaíso on 31 March 1866 took place during the Chincha Islands War, when a Spanish fleet shelled, burned and destroyed the undefended port of Valparaíso.
Background
After the humiliating defeat at the Battle of Papudo an ...
, Chile (1866).
* ''"They shall not pass
In Modern English, ''they'' is a third-person pronoun relating to a grammatical subject.
Morphology
In Standard Modern English, ''they'' has five distinct word forms:
* ''they'': the nominative (subjective) form
* ''them'': the accusati ...
"'', historic phrase of military defiance from many encounters
* ''" NUTS!"'', Brigadier General McAuliffe's response to a German demand to surrender at Bastogne
Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, ...
* ''"Molon labe
''Molon labe'' ( grc, μολὼν λαβέ, molṑn labé), meaning 'come and take hem, is a classical expression of defiance.
It is among the Laconic phrases reported by Plutarch, attributed to King Leonidas I in reply to the demand by Xerx ...
''" ("come and take ur weapons
Ur was an important Sumerian city-state in ancient Mesopotamia, located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar ( ar, تل ٱلْمُقَيَّر) in south Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate. Although Ur was once a coastal city near the mouth of the E ...
it.: "Having come, take", which can be understood as "first you have to get here, then you can try taking them" or "come and take them", attributed to King Leonidas I
Leonidas I (; grc-gre, Λεωνίδας; died 19 September 480 BC) was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles. Leonidas I was son of King ...
* ''"Αν ζήσω, θα τους γαμήσω. Αν πεθάνω, θα μου κλάσουν τον πούτσον."'' ("If I live, I will fuck them. If I die, they will fart my dick."), from a letter from Georgios Karaiskakis
Georgios Karaiskakis ( el, Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης), born Georgios Karaiskos ( el, Γεώργιος Καραΐσκος; 1782 – 1827), was a famous Greek military commander and a leader of the Greek War of Independence.
Early ...
to Reşid Mehmed Pasha
Reşid Mehmed Pasha, also known as Kütahı ( el, Μεχμέτ Ρεσίτ πασάς Κιουταχής, 1780–1836), was an Ottoman statesman and general who reached the post of Grand Vizier in the first half of the 19th century, playing an imp ...
in 1827 during the Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
.
Notes
References
External links
* (25 Feb 2022). CNN News
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
.
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