Krymnash
"Krymnash" (Russian: Крымнаш, lit. 'Crimea [is] ours') is a Russian-language neologism and internet meme that arose in popularity in Russia at the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War to celebrate the Russian annexation of Crimea.
Originally used as a patriotic slogan by nationalistic Russians, it subsequently spread in Ukraine as a mocking internet meme.[1][2]
Original form of the meme[edit]
According to scholar Mikhail Suslov, "'Krymnash' arose as a serious meme as an attempt at describing reality" in 2014 to promote the idea that Crimea must become part of Russia.[3] In November 2015, a survey said that 52% of Russians believed "Krymnash" was a symbol of their country's "pride and revival".[4]
In March 2016, there was an attempt to hold a rally to celebrate the anniversary of "Krymnash" in Moscow, but it did not occur.[5]
Satirical meme[edit]
According to Suslov, "literally a day after the referendum, the meme was redefined in an ironic way."[3] The new satirical form of "Krymnash" began to be used in a satirical context[6] to mock Russia's domestic failures in spite of the annexation.[7] In formal writing, the phrase would be written as two words, like "Krym nash", but was written without spaces as "Krymnash" in its slogan form on the internet. Galina Sklyarevskaya, the head of a computer lexicography department at St. Petersburg University, says that this kind of hashtag-like spelling of slogans is influenced by Twitter.[8] In the satirical incarnation of the phrase, the two words are always combined.[9] In this ironic context, it is used as "almost a throw-away line – "our toilets don't work but at least Krymnash!""[3]
When the phrase is still used sincerely by supporters of the annexation, it is almost always spelled out in two words with both capitalized, as “Krym Nash”.[3]
An ironical anagram "Krymnash"->"Namkrysh" («Крым наш» -> «Нам крыш») was variously used by Russian dissidents. «Нам крыш» is a hint to the expression of panic «Нам крышка» ("We are doomed").[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Кримнаш — Намкриш: Як змінювалися думки росіян у 2014 році". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Замість Кримнаш приходить Намкриш: В Москві багато простих людей починають підтримувати Україну". Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d "'Krymnash' Meme Part of Russian Society's Return to Late Soviet Times". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Россияне назвали "Крымнаш" символом гордости и возрождения страны" (in Russian). Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Провальний "путінг". Загнані бюджетники прорвали поліцейський кордон, щоб піти з концерту "Кримнаш"". Archived from the original on 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Хвилинка гумору: про російську пропаганду, "кримнаш" та бойовиків". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Госчиновников назвали структурной проблемой". Archived from the original on 31 January 2017.
- ^ Palveleva, Lily (15 December 2014). ""Крымнаш" как русское слово-ключ". Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ "The 2014 Dictionary".
- ^ «Крым наш» или «Нам крыш» – акция в России к годовщине аннексии полуострова (видео), Radio Liberty, March 19, 2019
