Just Another Totally Normal Z Profile picture
Mar 6, 2022 29 tweets 20 min read Read on X
The Cyrillic alphabet #Russia uses has a Ze ("З", like Greek Zeta "ζ") which in pro-Putin circles is now often replaced by its Latin equivalent #Z. Aside from the graphical symbolism of Z, does it have a verbal meaning, or stand for something? A thread on how Z's used in words🧵
First things 1st: I can't see any consensus that the original use of #Z as tactical recognition markings for parts of #Russia's invasion force was supposed to stand for a word. It's not a letter in their alphabet after all. There were some speculative guesses but nothing concrete
If so, it's fair to guess words seen with a Z have been "retrofitted" to the military symbol. That gives a lot of flexibility: mostly Z is just being used to replace З, which is a more frequently occurring letter in Russian than Z is in English sttmedia.com/characterfrequ…
Including a letter from the wrong alphabet sticks out, a bit like the faux Cyrillic in AИIMAL FAЯM. But И sounds like I and Я like Ya, so they look similar but sound nonsensically different. Swapping Z for З, looks radically different but sounds the same! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faux_Cyri… Image
"З" is the first letter of the very common preposition "За", which can mean "to", "for" or a bunch of other things. So replacing З in "За" with Z offers unlimited possibilities. We see "Zа наших"="for ours" a lot. (The linked thread is worth reading!) ImageImage
More ominously, it's used along the ubiquitous hashtag #СвоихНеБросаем ("Svoikh Ne Brosayem=we don't abandon/leave behind our own"). So the "ours" in "for ours" refers to Russian kinsmen in Ukraine, whose alleged persecution and genocide justifies war
ImageImageImage
But there are lots of other things you can be "for": #ZаПобеду & #ZаНашуПобеду are popular hashtags. "За (Нашу) Победу"="For (Our) Victory". ImageImage
So far, so militaristic. Perhaps more ideologically disturbing is the leader worship/personality cult. "За Президента (Za Prezidenta)" = "For the president" is a big Instagram hashtag. You can guess "За Путина (Za Putina)". These #Z's may also be chanted:
There's also the pure patriotism of "Za Rossiyu"="For Russia", of course Image
A longer word than за: "Z/Защита (zashchita)"=protection (or defense, security, shelter etc) often accompanies the "ribbon" version of #Z. Westerners see an invasion slaughtering civilians. In #Russia, the special operation is framed as life-saving ImageImage
Another longer Z/З word is zakanchivat'="to end". Maria Zakharova, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, wrote on 28 Feb "Россия не начала войну, она её заканчивает (Rossiya ne nachala voynu, ona yeyo zakanchivayet)": Russia didn't start the war, it ends it.
dw.com/en/fact-check-… Image
Similarly this 7 March media headline: "Мы заканчиваем восьмилетнюю войну (My zakanchivayem semiletnyuyu voynu)"="We end the 8-year war". The implication here is that Ukraine has waged war against the ethnic Russians of Donbas since 2014
web.archive.org/web/2022030712… Image
So "z/заканчиваем войну (zakanchivayem voynu)"="we end the war", is not just a statement of confidence in Russia's success, but also deflects blame: Ukraine started it, not us. We're just restoring peace & protecting our own. Image
For foreign audiences, "Z" has also been appearing in some Latin script words e.g. the Russian ministry of defense with "denaZification" Image
Or the Z in this one: "NATO STOP PLZ" - note how this shifts the blame for the conflict away from Russia and towards NATO "aggression" Image
Another English language one, stating a war aim: demilitariZation (Russian Military of Defense on Instagram, 4 March) Image
I'll do all the Ministry of Defense Instagram ones chronologically. The first batch was 2 March, with ЗА ПОБЕДУ (ZA POBEDU=FOR VICTORY) for "Z" and СИЛА V ПРАВДЕ (SILA V PRAVDE=STRENGTH/POWER IN TRUTH) for "V" (note "V" isn't in Cyrillic alphabet either, it's replacing В here) ImageImage
Also interesting to note the hashtag these were posted under: #героиz (geroiz), where z has been added at the end instead: it's an additional letter, not one substituting for a з. So it could be read as "heroesz". The caption was edited on 5 Mar, don't know what the original was
On 4 March, ЗА ПОБЕДУ (FOR VICTORY) again. Note switch to "St George's ribbon" Z, like that on RT merchandise on 26 Feb . Both pic & ribbon recall the defeat of the Nazis in the Great Patriotic War (WW2 Eastern Front), idea of "fighting Nazism" in Ukraine ImageImage
Also 4 Mar, trio of Z images: ЗА МИР (ZA MIR)=FOR PEACE, ЗА ПРАВДУ (ZA PRAVDU)=FOR TRUTH, ЗАКАНЧИВАЕМ ВОЙНУ (ZAKANCHIVAYEM VOYNU)=WE END THE WAR. Orwell would be proud of first two: I think it's 1st entry on this thread for peace/truth, & chronologically earliest for end the war ImageImageImage
Also 4 March, chronologically the first English language ones: demilitariZation and denaZification ImageImage
5 March, a pair for Z: ЗАКАНЧИВАЕМ ВОЙНУ (ZAKANCHIVAYEM VOYNU)=WE END THE WAR again with different pic, then a new phrase: ЗА ДЕТЕЙ ДОНБАССА (ZA DETEY DONBASSA)=FOR THE CHILDREN OF DONBASS ImageImage
Also 5 March, a pair for V: СИЛА V ПРАВДЕ (SILA V PRAVDE=STRENGTH/POWER IN TRUTH) again with new pic, & first appearance of ЗАДАЦА БУДЕТ ВЫПОЛНЕНА (ZADATSA BUDET VYPOLNENA)=THE TASK WILL BE COMPLETED ImageImage
Also 5 March, Russia's Military of Defense returned to ЗА ПОБЕДУ (FOR VICTORY). As previous day, has Saint George's ribbon & visual reference to victory over Nazis in the Great Patriotic War blended into modern conflict. Original hashtag used is #героиz Image
6 Mar: St George ribbon "Z" with WW2/today split photo again (now emphases #Russia's multiethnic army-theme of recent Putin speech?). Hashtag #zапобеду (for victory). Main text has #V and #Z: V ОТВЕТЕ ZА МИР (should be В ОТВЕТЕ ЗА МИР, v otvete za mir)=IN RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEACE Image
6 Mar: new graphic design, #V made using fingers (with #Russia helicopter in background). Hashtag used is #СИЛАVПРАВДЕ (should be СИЛА В ПРАВДЕ; SILA V PRAVDE=STRENGTH/POWER IN TRUTH) as in the original Defense Ministry picture from 2 Mar Image
Was posted with a longer comment: "#СилаVправде Они защищают тебя и мир. Поддержим наших парней. Они это услышат!"="#StrengthInTruth They protect you & peace. Let's support our guys. They will hear it!"
Also 6 Mar: fingered Z (#Russia ground forces in background). 1st appearance of ZАПАЦАНОV (should be ЗА ПАЦАНОВ; ZA PATSANOV=FOR THE BOYS): note this uses both #Z and #V, like V ОТВЕТЕ ZА МИР did before. Ministry of Defense's comment is same as above but with hashtag #ZаПацаноV Image
7 Mar: return to original style #Z. НЕ ZАБУДЕМ (should be НЕ ЗАБУДЕМ; NE ZABUDEM=WE WILL NOT FORGET) makes first appearance as slogan. #Russia's Ministry of Defense uses #zапобеду (for victory) hashtag & same "support our guys" comment as before. Image

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Just Another Totally Normal Z

Just Another Totally Normal Z Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @TotallyNormalZ

Mar 10, 2022
How is #Z used as a symbol of fear to intimidate opponents and activists in #Russia? A thread🧵I'll start with the black-Z-shirted Anton Demidov, who vows not to leave city streets-"the rear of the Russian army"-unguarded from "hypocritical" protestors
But the Z threat can be more direct & personal, like when it's painted on the door of your home. This happened to Rita Flores from Pussy Riot (reported 5 March) Image
Next to the door, someone had stuck up a poster of Flores offering sexual services, including a photo she believes was hacked from her phone while she was being held in detention over summer. whatisyournameinsider.com/politika/24907… ImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Mar 10, 2022
Totally normal day at #Russia space agency Roscosmos. In this 10 March video, everyone must wear their swanky #Z badge with St George's ribbon (a memorial of fight vs Nazis in WW2) over their white coats. Badges say ZА МИР=FOR PEACE en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon_of…
Of course proper Russian would be ЗА not ZA, but Latin Z is invading the Cyrillic alphabet right now (see thread). "For peace" is one of the more Orwellian invasion slogans: the Russian Ministry of Defense has used it too Image
The TV screen in the background is also Z'd up & comes complete with St George's ribbon. It starts off with ZА АРМИЮ! ZА РОССИЮ! ВМЕСТЕ С ПРЕЗИДЕНТО! which is FOR THE ARMY! FOR RUSSIA! TOGETHER WITH THE PRESIDENT! which is the sign of a very normal country Image
Read 9 tweets
Mar 9, 2022
Maria Butina is a Pro-Putin activist & member of parliament in #Russia, who served jail time in the US for being a Russian agent (she's the famous NRA gun photo lady!). On 3 March she showed her Telegram fans how to draw #Z on their clothes. HT @francska1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_But…
@francska1 In the accompanying comment she talks about "our Z army". She thought about using a Z badge instead, but disliked that it was costly & temporary. Marking your clothes (especially designer ones) shows more commitment; can neither be erased nor hidden t.me/mariabutina/42…
@francska1 At the end she says "Работайте, братья! Мы с вами навсегда!" (Rabotayte, brat'ya! My s vami navsegda!) "Keep working brothers! We are with you forever." The "keep working brothers" refers to the last words of a Russian policeman kidnapped by militants ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Работайте…
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(