March 09, 2025

A Musical Military Meme


A Musical Military Meme
So sigma. Red Boi Cong, YouTube.

On February 22, a video of the Red Army Choir singing a song entitled "Sigma Boy" was broadcast on Russia Today and Sputnik, two television channels run by the Russian state.

The song was released to coincide with Defenders of the Fatherland Day, a Russian holiday honoring men. Of course, it also nods to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, with plenty of shots of tanks, artillery, helicopters, and President Putin himself (who is undoubtedly a sigma boy).

[INVALID]

The song has a rousing beat. In part, its lyrics translate to:

"True sigma boy, sigma boy, sigma boy / All the girls want to dance with you / Strong and brave / Stands for the Fatherland like a mountain ... Ah, what a man! / This look is fire! / Age will not be a problem / You will never bend."

The term "sigma boy" appears to be a reference to Gen Z internet slang, wherein a "sigma male" is an assertive, aloof, ambitious individualist. This contrasts with the traditional conceptions of an extroverted "alpha" and submissive "beta."

The song first first appeared on the internet written and performed by Russian middle-schoolers last year (it received millions of views), but was only recently covered by the Red Army Choir.

To answer a meme with a meme: How do you do, fellow kids?

You Might Also Like

Memes For Our Times

Memes For Our Times

We explain ten recent memes that best capture the current sociopolitical mood across a large subset of Russian society.
Narrow or Russian?
  • September 19, 2022

Narrow or Russian?

A sappily patriotic pop song, "I'm Russian," gets a parody: "I'm Narrow."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955