April 13, 2020

Meet Russia's Newest Meme: Pechenegs


Meet Russia's Newest Meme: Pechenegs
If Russia can overcome these guys, it can overcome coronavirus. Skyllitzes Matritensis, fol. 173r, detail. Public domain.

Like many world leaders, Putin has gone on TV to provide some comfort to his citizens in this crazy time of global pandemic. What he couldn't have anticipated, however, was an uproarious internet response.

In the address last week, Putin said

“Everything passes and this too will pass. Our country has been through serious tests more than once: when tormented by the Pechenegs and the Cumans, Russia coped with everything."

The choice of the relatively obscure Pechenegs and Cumans (the latter being "Polovtsy" for all you non-medievalists out there), both semi-nomadic Turkic peoples who entered what is now southern Russia and Ukraine in the early medieval period, drew some bewilderment. After all, Russia suffered, similar, more recent, and, arguably, greater trials against Vikings, Mongols, Teutons, the French, Turks, Japanese, Poles, Cossacks, Swedes, Finns, and, of course, Germany.

In response, the Russian corners of the internet have exploded with some delightful memes. And, it seems, a sense of relief that Putin isn't comparing coronavirus to the Great Patriotic War.

 "Natasha, are you asleep?"
"The Polovtsy have tormented us."
"And the Pechenegs have tormented us, Natash."
"And, frankly speaking, the coronavirus infection, Natash."

 

You Might Also Like

Knights of the Don
  • July 01, 2006

Knights of the Don

For centuries, the Don Cossacks guarded Russia’s borders, fought its enemies, explored its nether reaches. Fiercely independent and the source of much historical controversy, these warriors are an inalienable part of Rus.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 

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