*cries In Extremely Ambitious Yet Easily Confused N Therefore Always Disoriented In Their Life Choices

english.nv.ua

Exclusive: Peter Pomerantsev on trying to comprehend Russian war crimes – interview

Why the Russians, according to UK publicist and propaganda researcher Peter Pomerantsev, could not imagine themselves without Putin, but qui

I just wrote a column the other day that destruction and self-destruction are part of Russian culture. A bunch of columns were immediately written arguing against me: they say, you can’t cast aspersions on all of Russian culture. Moreover, some very anti-Putin Australian and UK academics wrote these things. Once again, Solzhenitsyn and Dostoevsky were brought up.

The West now simply does not understand that Solzhenitsyn was an imperialist authoritarian with fascist inclinations, which were definitely not healthy. He often proclaimed authoritarian things. Even those Russian writers who were for human rights often ignored the human rights of other peoples. [...]

So Russian culture needs to reclaim the context in which it is meant to be read, to really, comprehensively read Russian writers. They are read with such flair, with such mysticism, with such romanticization of suffering. You just need to coldly, soberly analyze them, and see that even those of them who were often against Russian authoritarianism were terrible imperialists, and lived in complete harmony with the subjugation of other nations.

The problem with Russian culture is that it obscures or romanticizes Russian violence as part of its literary product.

NAUR BUT WHY IS IT SO CUTE🥹🥹

Bang Chan and Maniac the puppy ♡ Buzzfeed Puppy Interview teaser

russia is making advances in the Kharkiv region which was already liberated from russian occupation back in 2022. Situation in the east of Ukraine is also dire. People are losing their lives and homes every day.

Please consider donating to Hospitallers, they're a volunteer organization of paramedics that work on the frontlines. Even 1$ is a good donation.

http://hospitallers.life

the “ah yes, mysterious russian soul. no wonder they don’t protest“ is a laugh riot, that’s helluva true ㅠㅠ

Hey, I read your post about the difference between Ukrainian and russian literature, with a couple of quotes that looked really promising. Could you tell me what books or poems was quoted? And if you have the will, could you list Ukrainian literature references? I know Russian invested a lot to get their literature translated and I think it is time we make Ukrainian literature more known.

Hi! Thank you for the ask. I suppose you’re talking about this post, so here are the quotes mentioned in it, as well some links to Ukrainian literature.

“Ти знаєш, що ти людина” means “Do you know that you are human”. It’s from a poem by a Ukrainian poet Vasyl Symonenko (full English translation here). In the USSR, a human was just a screw in the system, easily replaceable. The Soviets didn’t care about individual people, only about the whole. You were supposed to die for the sake of the system if need be. And Symonenko’s poem is the opposite. It reminds us that each of us unique, that every human deserves happiness and freedom. The poet died after he was beaten up by the local militsya.

“Тварь ли я дрожащая или право я имею» is something like “Am I a trembling beast or do I have the right” is a quote from Raskolnikov, the protagonist of “Crime and Punishment” by russian writer Dostoyevsky. Raskolnikov says this as he thinks he has more rights than others and is superior to them. He divides humanity in two categories: those who have the right (who don’t need to care about laws and rules) and “trembling beasts” (who must be slaves).

“Борітеся й поборете” means “Keep fighting — you are sure to win!” It is from a poem “Caucasus” by Taras Shevchenko, the most famous Ukrainian poet. Full english translation. At the time of the writing, the russian empire was at war in the Caucasus region. Russia said that this war is actually needed to give the locals “the civilisation”, “russian laws” etc. Shevchenko gives a satirical characterisation of the empire and calls out against the war. He also encourages the locals to fight with the quote above, because “the right is on their side”.

Another writer who described the russian war in Caucasus is a famous and largely celebrated russian poet Mikhail Lermontov and his poem “Izmail Bey”. “Пускай я раб, но раб царя вселенной” - “Maybe I’m a slave, but I’m the slave of the ruler of the world”. Ah yes, the mysterious russian soul. No wonder they don’t protest.

Lermontov also wrote a poem glorifying a gang rape by the military. Here’s a video with English subtitles about Lermontov and what the hell was that poem (TW for the poem. 18+)

Ukrainian literature was always about fight for freedom, because that’s what our people always wanted more than anything. Meanwhile russian literature justifies imperialism all the time.

Links to translations of Ukrainian literature (for free!)

I am (romance) by Mykola Khvyliovyi, a psychological novel about Bolshevik revolution

Forest song (english, polish) by Lesia Ukrainka, a drama about mythological creatures in a Ukrainian forest

The city(part 1, part 2)by Valerian Pidmohylnyi, an urban novel. Recreates the atmosphere of Kyiv

Eneida by Ivan Kotliarevskyi is a parody of the classic poem where the Greek heroes are Ukrainian cossacks, describing Ukrainian customs and traditions

Zakhar Berkut by Ivan Franko is a historical novel about the struggle of ancient Carpathian communities against the Mongol invasion

Enchanted Desna by Oleksandr Dovzhenko is a cinematic novel that consists of short stories about the daily life of the author as a child in a Ukrainian village.

Tiger Trappers by Ivan Bahrianyi - a story of a political prisoner who escaped Gulag and lives in taiga with local hunters. One of my personal favourites.

Poems and stories by Ivan Franko

Contemporary Ukrainian literature in English (not for free)

What we live for, what we die for by Serhiy Zhadan - selected poems by a Ukrainian musician and poet

Apricots of Donbas by Lyuba Yakimchuk - about the East of Ukraine

The voices of Babyn Yar by Marianna Kiyanovska about the history of Babyn Yar in Kyiv

Life went on anyway by Oleg Sentsov, who was kidnapped from his home in the occupied Crimea and forced to go through a russian military trial

Fieldwork in Ukrainian sex by Oksana Zabuzhko

Also here you can buy a book “Torture camp on paradise street” by Stanislav Aseyev, who survived a russian concentration camp and described what it was like.

Salon

How Russian colonialism took the Western anti-imperialist Left for a ride

Blindness to Russian colonialism distorts Westerners’ view of the Ukraine war

Blindness to Russian colonialism distorts Westerners’ view of the Ukraine war

Yet, Westerners safe from bombardment like long-shot third-party presidential candidate Cornel West continue to accommodate Russia. In a July 13 interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, West called Russia's invasion "criminal" but insisted it was "provoked by the expansion of NATO" and is a "proxy war between the American Empire and the Russian Federation," adding Neville Chamberlain-esque icing on the appeasement cake by proposing Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia.

The tell in West's remarks was calling the U.S. an empire but referring to Russia by its de jure name, implicitly erasing its imperial, colonial character. It's a common tendency among the segment of the left to which West belongs, one that Kazakhstan-born Pitzer College sociology professor Azamat Junisbai attributes to ignorance and a myopic, know-nothing focus on American imperialism to the exclusion of imperialism by other nations.

"They're kind of imperial about their anti-imperialism," Junisbai said. "There's something very provincial and strange about it where you literally do not know anything about what's happening beyond this one issue you care about."

🇬🇪 Georgia (Sakartvelo) protesting against foreign agents bill.

On the night of July 23rd, russia attacked Odesa, a Ukrainian port city. The center of Odesa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The enemy is destroying historic buildings and lives. This night 19 people were wounded, 1 person was killed.

6 residential buildings, including apartment buildings, were destroyed. Two architectural monuments, a temple, were damaged. Dozens of cars were mutilated. Many buildings have broken windows, damaged roofs and facades.

Below you can see the photos before and after russian missile attack

Funds to help Ukraine right now:

u24.gov.ua

savelife.in.ua

prytulafoundation.org

❗️ Please share!!!

THIS !!

YES YES YES AND MILLION MORE YESES

your character’s the damsel in distress. how’s that workin’ out?

this trope depicts women as helpless, let’s be real here.

thread by @fictionalturtlenecks <3

— all I see of this trope are women who are desperate for their prince charming/knight in shining armour to come & save them from certain doom when they could easily save themselves… we’re not helpless, y’know.

if you’re making ONLY girls the victims in your story, I think there’s a problem (typecasting/sexism)

has misogynistic origins. & it’s rare to see it as something progressive

teaches girls that they need a man to save them when they’re in trouble

I just want to see the girl NOT being the one who has to be saved. it seems like a stereotypical gender role

it can be written well! especially if the girl is also saving others & is in a situation where it makes sense for her to be the one saved

please no “she needs saving! even though she can do it herself! we need the love interest to help when they don’t need to!”

it should show more women that can fight & be independent. they don’t have to rely on some guy to save them in every single situation

I seriously cannot express how much I hate this trope; it’s usually sexist, it just is

it always has to be a female character. give me men that need help too!

it’s not the worst thing. there could be worse tropes.

it gives young girls the idea that they’re helpless, that they need to wait for their prince charming.

it makes younger boys think that they need a submissive woman, not capable of doing anything herself.

HOW LONG DOES SHE HAVE TO WAIT TO BE SAVED?

what would be cool is if the roles were reversed. if it wasn’t a guy & a girl. the possibilities are endless.

why does the girl never do anything to save herself? why does the girl have no basic intelligence? if we’re going to be writing that, can we factor that in?

unless you give it a twist like they did in shrek because that was perfect

make it male version & a little less “in distress” or less “helpless” (it would be an interesting idea)

while it’s a controversial trope, if written in a way where it’s not too helpless it would be a good trope.

at least give her a good reason why she can’t save herself

it makes the character seem like they’re not independent

women are girlbosses & we don’t need men. this trope can d!e. might reconsider if it’s wlw

this trope was ages—& I mean AGES—ago. these days, it’s offensive & misogynistic

suggests that women are helpless & require (usually) a man to save them

I hate when a female fighter is turned into a damsel for no good reason

more male characters being in distress that doesn’t make them “less manly” or whatever

as long as the girl isn’t a complete shell of a human being

it can be a lot of fun if we see the “damsel” trying to figure out how to escape. if they just sit there passively & wait to be rescued, it’s very dull.

there was too much of this before the 2000s, but now w/ so many “girlboss” protagonists, it feels like it’s become cool to refuse help

everyone, regardless of gender, should be feeling safe & comfy w/ receiving help

sometimes problems in life are easier to solve w/ more people

STOP associating the damsel in distress trope w/ romance

it doesn’t always have to be a guy who is giving the help. it can be a girl or themself!!

as long as the damsel isn’t the only female & there are competent women too

negative version of the maiden archetype. to become a hero, she must learn to save herself

male characters as the “damsel”? yes please

the takes on this trope where the cliché is twisted in some way >

more linked to classics & disney, definitely not necessary anymore. fairly outdated

it would be funny to put a man as the damsel in distress for once

it’s highly outdated & promotes both male saviourism & the idea that all women are helpless

“I’m a damsel. I’m in distress. I can handle this. have a nice day.”

it feels so insane that a lot of people in soviet union had parallel russian names they used instead of their own non-slavic names. we were just living like that