Thread by @TotallyNormalZ

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…

"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!)

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

https://twitter.com/PaulusWagner/status/1500305476034211843

But there are lots of other things you can be "for": #ZаПобеду & #ZаНашуПобеду are popular hashtags. "За (Нашу) Победу"="For (Our) Victory".

https://twitter.com/PaulusWagner/status/1500305484720623622

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:

https://twitter.com/TotallyNormalZ/status/1500505629017923586

There's also the pure patriotism of "Za Rossiyu"="For Russia", of course

https://twitter.com/PaulusWagner/status/1500305496573722624

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

https://twitter.com/PaulusWagner/status/1500305490848493571

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-…

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…

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.

https://twitter.com/AnnaGunin/status/1500247939477909508

For foreign audiences, "Z" has also been appearing in some Latin script words e.g. the Russian ministry of defense with "denaZification"

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1499655251892359171

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"

https://twitter.com/AnnaGunin/status/1500247921442410496

Another English language one, stating a war aim: demilitariZation (Russian Military of Defense on Instagram, 4 March)

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)

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

https://twitter.com/TotallyNormalZ/status/1500922600847024130

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

Also 4 March, chronologically the first English language ones: demilitariZation and denaZification

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

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

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

https://twitter.com/TotallyNormalZ/status/1500929499034226691

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

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

https://twitter.com/TotallyNormalZ/status/1500910144896610309

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

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.