It was originally written in white paint on Russian tanks and trucks waiting at the border with Ukraine before the invasion. But now, this Russian “Z” is everywhere.
Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore it on his podium when he stepped on the podium next to his Ukrainian opponent in Qatar, used by politicians, and appeared in pro-Russian demonstrations in Belgrade and on social media.
“Z” is a letter that Russian Military are putting on their vehicles departing to Ukraine. Some interpret “Z” as “Za pobedy” (for victory). Others – as “Zapad” (West). Anyway, this symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity pic.twitter.com/iWuBPhhdEb
– Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022
But where did this symbol come from? First of all, the letter “Z” does not exist in the Cyrillic alphabet.
The most popular theory wants the letter to be written on the vehicles of Russian soldiers to indicate where they are based, with “Z” meaning “Zapad”, meaning West.
Others believe that it was simply designed on tanks and trucks just to avoid friendly fire. Some say it comes from the surname of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Terminally ill children told to form letter ‘Z’ in snow in support of Russia https://t.co/naMQOciGoi pic.twitter.com/IJoUMvagKZ
– New York Post (@nypost) March 7, 2022
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on these theories, but has written on its Instagram account that “Z” comes from “Za pobedu”, which means “for victory”.
The “Z” is now a symbol of those who support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Just three days after the invasion, the state-run RT network announced on its social media channels that it was selling “Z” goods, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, to show its support for the Russian military.
Since then, young people wear the “Z” on their T-shirts on marches in Russia, while the letter appears painted on apartment buildings and on billboards on the street. Many schools post pictures of children standing in a “Z” shape.
Money Review
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