Russian invasion
“Fighters for good” against “racists” in “Mordor”: The new language in the Ukraine war
Participants in the solidarity demonstration for Ukraine stand on Pariser Platz with signs “Stop Mordor” and “Stop Russian Invasion” (archive photo from February 24, 2022)
© Paul Zinken / Picture Alliance
It’s a small sign – in the truest sense of the word: Many Ukrainian media only write Kremlin chief Putin with the first small letter: putin. The war produces other neologisms.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is also having an impact on the language in the neighboring country. The Russian occupiers are now often referred to as occupiers in Ukraine, just like the Germans did in World War II.
Above all, they are called “racists” – a mixture of “Rashya”, as Russia is pronounced in English, and fascist. “Racist” is now even used in the news. In doing so, the Ukrainians are also countering one of Moscow’s justifications for the war of aggression – that their country must be purged of alleged fascists.
Ukrainians speak of “orcs”
In order to characterize the fight against Russia as a fight of good against evil, their own troops are spoken of as “fighters for good”. The Russian troops are said to come from “Mordor”, a hotbed of evil based on the fantasy world of JRR Tolkien and his “Lord of the Rings”. Even before the atrocities in the capital’s suburbs became known, the Russian soldiers were dubbed “Orcs” – looting bands of inhuman beings and willing enforcers of evil.
As a sign of disregard, many media have started to write the surname of Russian President Vladimir Putin with only the first few letters: putin. Russia often only gets a small r.
Large parts of Mariupol are now under the control of the Russian military. Around 100,000 residents are currently staying in Mariupol, said Mikhail Vershinin, the head of Mariupol’s patrol police. The Russian troops had them clear rubble for food, and salvaged bodies and buried them in mass graves, he added. Before the war, Mariupol had around 400,000 inhabitants. Thousands of civilian deaths are feared after the long siege and constant shelling.