Ждуны ~ Word of the Month

Ждун (Zhdun) is a verbal noun derived from the word “zhdat” (to wait). The concept became Russia's top meme back in 2017, arising from a sculpture by Dutch artist Margrit van Brevoort, which depicts a legless sack shaped creature with human arms and a sea elephant head. The original title of the work – “Homunculus loxodontus” – does not imply the concept of waiting; however, the elephant-like homunculus sat at the entrance to Leiden University’s medical center, resembling a patient waiting in line to see a doctor.

Its tragicomic nature struck a chord in the hearts of Russians and other residents of the post-Soviet space. Zhdun spread far beyond the internet. The strange gray creature was installed in photo zones, and companies even sold plush toys and beanbag chairs shaped like Zhdun.

You can't translate the word directly, as in the neutral “the waiter.” For that, Russians use “ожидающий”. The neologism “zhdun” is like the words “vrun” – from “vrat`” (to lie), “drachun” – from “dratsia” (to fight) – all of which carry negative connotations. For, despite Russians' affectionate attitude toward the cute little “Zhdun” figures with their sorrowful eyes, the word itself carries a distinctly condemnatory tone: it sounds harsh and dismissive.

The term “zhdun” came to be used to describe anyone who waits for something with the helplessness of a seal, resigning themselves to the conditions of a life spent waiting. The word was used in a wide variety of situations, but, of course, the most important aspect was the political one, which made the term popular in the first place. Russians self-critically referred to themselves as eternal “zhduni” (plural for “zhdun”), citing Soviet-era lines, the infamous Russian bureaucracy, and political passivity in general.

Almost 10 years have passed since the meme first appeared, but the zhduni have not been forgotten, popping up every now and then in new contexts. For example, after media reports emerged about women who, in search of relationships, began corresponding with men in prison, the feminine form, zhduli, appeared, since the women are waiting for their man's release.

When the War on Ukraine began, the term “zhduni” was increasingly used to refer to those living in Russian-occupied territories who do not support the new regime. And, more broadly, it refers to anyone in Russia who is forced to put up with the current situation but hopes for change. The term is used by people with pro-war views to describe those they suspect of treason. In 2024, a Crimean official, Zaur Smirnov, even proposed enshrining the term “zhdun” in law. “In addition to administrative and criminal prosecution, malicious zhduni, he argued, should be stripped of their Russian citizenship and, possibly, expelled from the country.

In July 2026, as the war situation inside Russia deteriorated, the hunt for traitors, foreign agents, and “zhduni” intensified. The term became particularly relevant in occupied Crimea, where residents now find themselves under siege due to drone strikes on the road leading to the peninsula. Anyone who simply remains silent, rather than shouting about Russia’s greatness, immediately becomes a suspect of sympathizing with Ukraine and is given the nickname “zhdun.”