"To bomb Voronezh" () is a Russian-language

internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

and political idiom, referring to self-destructive actions by the Russian regime that harm the population, akin to the English "

cutting off one's nose to spite one's face "Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face" is an expression used to describe a needlessly self-destructive overreaction to a problem: "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" is a warning against acting out of pique, or against pursuing rev ...

Origin

Early iterations

The earliest iterations of the meme came in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War, when Russian authorities allocated large amounts of money to reconstruct destroyed cities of South Ossetia. An

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

anecdote states that a government official in the Russian city

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...

complained sarcastically around this time: According to

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

, this story is probably a myth, since no records of the statement actually exist. The earliest references to the meme date back to August 2008, when a LiveJournal user referenced a similar joke supposedly made by "the residents of Voronezh", with no mention of a government official. Another notable early mention was on 21 December 2011, when, in the context of the opening stages of the Syrian civil war, a Russian-language tweet satirically attributed a quote to

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

that said:

Widespread popularity

Starting in the mid-2010s, with the

international sanctions International sanctions are political and economic decisions that are part of diplomatic efforts by countries, multilateral or regional organizations against states or organizations either to protect national security interests, or to protect in ...

on Russia and retaliatory Russian counter-sanctions, the meme had a change in meaning. In 2012, the Russian parliament passed the

Dima Yakovlev Law The Dima Yakovlev Law (russian: Закон Димы Яковлева), Dima Yakovlev Bill, Dima Yakovlev Act, anti-Magnitsky law, or Law of Scoundrels (officially Federal Law of 28 December 2012 No.272-FZ "On Sanctions for Individuals Violating F ...

, which prevented the adoption of Russian orphans by Americans. The main blow of the law fell on the Russian orphans themselves, many of whom suffered from serious illnesses. Similar exchanges of mutual sanctions occurred after Russia's annexation of Crimea, hurting ordinary Russian consumers. Thus, a common Russian joke was that "in response to the sanctions, the president gave the order to bomb Voronezh". A joke spread on

Runet Runet (russian: Рунет), a portmanteau of ru (code for both the Russian language and Russia's top-level domain) and net/network, is the Russian-language community on the Internet and websites. The term Runet was coined in Israel in the spr ...

about a supposed conversation between two Russian government officials:

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 20 April 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine the Russian Air Force accidentally bombed the Russian city of Belgorod, injuring three people. Anti-war Russians drew comparisons to the "bomb Voronezh" meme. The meme was brought up again during the

Wagner Group rebellion On 23 June 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, engaged in a major uprising against the Russia under Vladimir Putin, Government of Russia. It marked the climax of the Wagner Group–Russian Ministry of Defence conflict, W ...

in June 2023, when there were reports of government shelling against the Wagner rebels causing an oil depot in Voronezh Oblast to catch fire.

Notes

References