The woman who has become known as Babushka Z – “grandmother” in Russian and Z from the letter often painted on Russian armored vehicles – gets upset when she sees her frames go viral and speaks of misunderstanding.
The snapshot of an elderly Ukrainian holding a red Soviet flag has become the Kremlin’s most inaccessible propaganda symbol, after a video of her meeting with Ukrainian soldiers went viral.
The BBC spotted the grandmother of the video, which became known on social media as “Babushka Z“to try to reveal the truth behind the incident.
“I do not think they should glorify me. I’m just a farmer. I do not understand why I have become famous.“
Not any old Z. THE Babushka Z. Show some respect, you ingrate.https: //t.co/FE0iu0nBCt
– Dennis (@JohnLukeGodard) June 13, 2022
The woman who has become known as Babushka Z – “grandmother” in Russian and Z from the letter often painted on Russian armored vehicles – gets upset when the BBC shows her frames going viral.
«I have never seen any of this“, says.
The video shows her walking towards two Ukrainian soldiers holding a red Soviet flag.
The soldiers say they came to her aid and offered her a bag of food. Then they grab the flag, throw it on the ground and press it. So the woman, feeling insulted, gives them back the food.
«My parents died for this flag in World War IIShe says indignantly.
Babushka Z: The woman who became a #Russian #propaganda icon https://t.co/GUpskSLQVT
– Lars-Marten Nagel (@ lmn80) June 15, 2022
For the Kremlin, this moment was golden. Russian propaganda can rarely focus on individuals, and they saw this woman as a rare example of a Ukrainian who regretted the collapse of the Soviet Union and considered the Russians liberators.
Most Ukrainians – even in Russian-speaking areas – do not take kindly to the Russian invasion, so the controversial frame was an ideal opportunity for the Kremlin, which has struggled to spread public perception that Russia’s actions are backed by the locals.
The Kremlin’s propaganda machine got a job. Within days, her image – a flashback to a Soviet-era stereotypical peasant woman in her orthodox headscarf, felt boots and thick skirt – began to appear everywhere, from Moscow and Siberia to the island of Sakhalin in the Far East. East.
It has been reproduced in murals, placards, postcards, sculptures and stickers as well as decorations for bumpers.
Songs and poems have been dedicated to her. Russian officials have even unearthed a statue of her in Mariupol, the Ukrainian city that has been completely bombed.
Until recently, no one knew the real identity of Babushka Z. In fact, no one was sure if it even existed.
But it is. Her name is Anna Ivanovna and she lives in Velyka Danylivka, a village near Kharkov in northeastern Ukraine with her husband, her dogs, cats and rabbits.
The lively 69-year-old looks surprised when she sees the photos from the statue that was made by her. “Do I really look so big?” He asks.
But its story is very different from the image painted by the Russian media. It does not support war.
“How can I support the fact that my people are dying?? “, he wonders and adds that”My grandchildren and great-grandchildren had to go to Poland. We live in fear and terror“.
So why did Anna greet the soldiers with a Soviet flag? She says her move was misunderstood. She claims that she confused the two Ukrainian soldiers who offered her food with Russian soldiers.
“I was just happy that the Russians were not fighting us. I was happy that we would be reunited,” he said.
Babushka Z is reinforcing. Could be a game changer. pic.twitter.com/xvYN3gnkcF
– Buster the Dawg (@ BustertheDawg2) June 15, 2022
