The Economist: Letter Z has become a scary symbol

18

The letter Z has become an informal symbol of Russian troops conducting a special operation in Ukraine. The Economist magazine drew attention to the explosion in the popularity of this symbol in Russia.

When Russian troops were near the borders of Ukraine in January-February 2022, many keen observers noticed curious inscriptions painted on the sides of Russian tanks. Among them was the letter Z, which gave rise to many theories in this regard.



So, some have suggested that Z is short for the word "West". Others linked this letter to the Kremlin's alleged desire to remove Volodymyr Zelensky from his post. Military analysts believe that the letter corresponds to the markings of the Russian units participating in the special operation - it is easier to distinguish the Russian military machinery from Ukrainian.

The Economist: Letter Z has become a scary symbol

Meanwhile, the Z symbol began to spread rapidly in Russia. It is used in their performances. political figures, athletes, journalists, as well as various organizations of a patriotic and social orientation.

According to The Economist, the letter Z has never before been associated with Putin's power. It also lacks the negative connotations of other infamous signs such as the Nazi swastika.

Nevertheless, the publication believes, Z in the present situation has become a frightening symbol (probably for the West itself). Russian officials accepted it to show loyalty to their leader and his far-reaching political decisions.
18 comments
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  1. shiva
    shiva
    +12
    16 March 2022 14: 07
    Zorro to the rescue. They forgot something themselves, why guess?
    1. ont65
      ont65
      +7
      16 March 2022 14: 24
      A well-deserved retribution in the name of freedom and justice! Any Negro knows this. :)
    2. Vladimir_ Voronov
      Vladimir_ Voronov
      +5
      16 March 2022 14: 30
      I completely agree. Let them reconsider - "Zorro", 1975 - Franco-Italian fencing western with Alain Delon in the title role.
  2. trampoline instructor
    trampoline instructor
    +3
    16 March 2022 14: 38
    And there was also the letter "V". She was completely undeservedly forgotten.
  3. Locksmith
    Locksmith
    +7
    16 March 2022 14: 53
    Z = zero = zeroing Natsik. V = victoria = victory .
  4. zzdimk
    zzdimk
    +5
    16 March 2022 15: 54
    Soon it will be banned from use in the West. Enter some neutral character.
    1. Piramidon
      Piramidon
      +1
      20 March 2022 17: 24
      The Balts have already proposed removing the letters Z and V from the alphabet. And then, as they see these letters, they immediately have an exacerbation of enuresis.
  5. Yatva
    Yatva
    +3
    16 March 2022 16: 27
    Za V (for the victory)!!!
  6. Awaz
    Awaz
    -2
    16 March 2022 17: 25

    here is an approximate translation of the message on the broadcast body of one Italian radio station: hello everyone from group Z
  7. Joker62
    Joker62
    0
    16 March 2022 17: 42
    Quote: shiva
    Zorro to the rescue. They forgot something themselves, why guess?

    Maybe Z is Zero?! Those. below zero!
  8. Kofesan
    Kofesan
    0
    17 March 2022 16: 08
    Oh, it seems to me that Putin still has a trump ace in reserve ... Or maybe more than one. And Z is not the end goal. And the beginning of a new alphabet, which means ... there will also be X, Y!!!

  9. Pereyaslov Konstantin Vladimirovich
    Pereyaslov Konstantin Vladimirovich
    0
    17 March 2022 20: 26
    I think Z is ground, ground troops, and V is air - airborne.
  10. Dingo
    Dingo
    +1
    17 March 2022 21: 57
    PROTECTION AGAINST THE DARK FORCE: Z OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY TURNED OUT TO BE AN ANCIENT SLAVIC SYMBOL
    The letter Z on the hulls of the equipment of the Russian army has become an unspoken symbol of our troops. However, as it turned out, this letter has a long history. The fact is that it turned out to be an ancient Russian symbol.

    The letter Z was the ninth in the Old Slavonic alphabet. It is still used in our country in the Church Slavonic alphabet. This letter is called "earth". From our own civil alphabet, Z has long been thrown out, because this letter was a real defense against dark forces.

    The fact that the letter Z is a protective symbol of the Slavs is already indicated by its very spelling. The upper line outlines the Sky, the lower one - the Earth. The diagonal line crosses out the space between Heaven and Earth, closing the passage for dark power. It is not surprising that it was "Earth" that the forces of darkness threw out of our alphabet.

    Recall that the letter Z flaunts on the equipment of the Russian army, performing a special operation to denationalize and denazify Ukraine. In addition to it, the letter V is also used on the sides of Russian military vehicles. The Z symbol has become so popular in Russia that both state authorities and ordinary Russian people began to use it, making stickers with this letter on their cars.



    Taken from the resource "Tsargrad".
  11. Dingo
    Dingo
    0
    17 March 2022 22: 01
    As an option...

  12. Dingo
    Dingo
    +1
    17 March 2022 22: 16
    And the swastika became "Nazi" only under these bluff Nazis. These mr ... zi, imagining themselves to be "exceptional", (doesn't it remind you of anything?), "Aryans", "superhumans" chose this ancient Slavic symbol for themselves, thereby putting it outside the law. In India, it is still widely used as a state symbol.
  13. Ildar Galin
    Ildar Galin
    0
    21 March 2022 19: 55
    Western Military District (ZVO), but in Latin ZVO
  14. Y282RO
    Y282RO
    0
    15 May 2022 19: 52
    Well, the letter Z is familiar to the British like no one else! In 1942, in Singapore, from where they were brought in on a filthy shovel by the advancing Japanese, and having a smaller contingent of troops and defeated the Britons to smithereens, the Britons used it (Z) as an enrichment of a group of ships! So let them dig into their history! And our Z and V will bring us success! For Victory!!
  15. Andrey_Z
    Andrey_Z
    0
    25 May 2022 10: 24
    World War Z