Russian warship, go fuck yourself

Украинский последний военный корабль, иди нахуй
Billboard in Dnipro, Ukraine, with the statement written in Russian

"Russian warship, go fuck yourself" (Russian: Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй),[a] was the last communication made on 24 February, the first day of the 2022 Snake Island campaign. Ukrainian border guard Roman Hrybov sent the message to the Russian missile cruiser Moskva. The phrase was widely used as a slogan during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was also used in pro-Ukrainian protests and demonstrations in the West.[3] Weeks later, Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian postal service, put the phrase on a postage stamp.[4]

At first, people believed that all the Ukrainian border guards had been killed. Later, the Ukrainian Navy said that they were "alive and well", but that they has been captured by the Russian Navy. During Hrybov's captivity, his family applied for a defensive trademark on the slogan.[5][6] When he was released, Hrybov was awarded a medal for his actions at the end of March.[7]

On 13 April 2022, one day after the first issue of the commemorative stamp, the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser, Moskva, was critically damaged by an explosion caused by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles; it sank the following day.[8][9] Ukrposhta responded to this event: They released a different version of the postage stamp, with the warship removed from the scene.[10]

Snake Island in 2008

References

  1. "Герои мема "Русский военный корабль, иди на..." с острова Змеиный живы, но взяты в плен". BBC News Russian (in Russian). BBC World Service. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. Clapp, Alexander (11 March 2022). "Fighters with Ukraine's foreign legion are being asked to sign indefinite contracts. Some have refused". The Economist. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  3. Keen, Andrew (4 March 2022). ""Go Fuck Yourself." On Putin's Propaganda and the Week in Ukrainian Resistance". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. Michael, Chris (12 March 2022). "Ukraine reveals 'Russian warship, go fuck yourself' postage stamp". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  5. Lince, Tim (17 March 2022). "Ukrainian Snake Island soldier seeks trademark for iconic phrase, as major brand challenges grow in Russia". World Trademark Review. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. Epstein, Jake. "Ukrainian Snake Island border-guard member who told off a Russian warship has been released from captivity, military says". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  7. Sauer, Pjotr (29 March 2022). "Ukraine gives medal to soldier who told Russian officer to 'go fuck yourself'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  8. "Russia says its Moskva warship has sunk, hours after Ukraine said it hit the ship with a missile strike". CBS News. April 14, 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  9. Dan Lamothe, Claire Parker, Andrew Jeong, Reis Thebault, Maite Fernández Simon: Russia says flagship missile cruiser has sunk after explosion off coast of Ukraine Archived 14 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post, April 14, 2022, retrieved 14 April 2022
  10. Taras Mishchenko: Ukrposhta announces new “Russian Warship… DONE” military stamp Archived 23 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Mezha.

Notes

  1. Russian: Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй, tr. Rússkiy voyénnyy korábl, idí nákhuy, IPA: [ˈrusːkʲɪj vɐˈjenːɨj kɐˈrablʲ ɪˈdʲi ˈnaxʊj],[1][2] Ukrainian: Російський військовий кораблю, іди на хуй, romanizedRosiiskyi viiskovyi korabliu, idy na khui