War-Torn Language

Given that, in the 20th century alone, some 30 to 50 million Soviets died as a result of war, it should be no surprise that war has made its mark on the Russian language. To summon up Lenin’s famous precept from the Civil War (9 million killed): Учиться военному делу настоящим образом, we have “learned the art of war the real way,” or perhaps “the hard way.” And, as the proverb has it, Война не лечит, а калечит. (War does not heal, it scars.)

In the Kievan Rus era, Kiev’s Prince Svyatoslav addressed his warriors on the eve of an enemy invasion with the words: Да не посрамим земле Русские, но ляжем костьми, мёртвы ибо срама не имам  (“Let us be worthy of the Russian land, for the fallen ones know no shame”). A slightly modernized version of the latter portion – мёртвые срама не имут – has entered modern usage and is commonly seen in press headlines and word plays (e.g., компьютеры спаму не имут – “computers know no spam,” replacing sram, “shame,” with spam).

Closer to our era, General Alexander Suvorov, the great war hero, reminded that: Воюй не числом, а уменьем (“make war not with numbers, but with your talents”). Russian linguist Vladimir Dal , meanwhile, collected many sayings from the War of 1812, including these two about Napoleon: Наступил на зeмлю русскую, да оступился (“he stepped on Russian lands, but stumbled”), and Отогрелся в Москве, да замёрз на Березине (“he warmed up in Moscow, but froze on the Berezina” – referring both to the occupation and burning of Moscow and the French defeat).

The word война  (“war”) is present in many idioms and proverbs, some no longer associated directly with war. For example, when someone says, “Мы ещё повоюем” (literally, “we are still warring”), it can mean simply, “We are not done yet,” with no particularly martial reference. It can be used as a phrase of self-encouragement (“we have not given up”) after a long period of recovery or when someone’s career or private life is at a low ebb. More pessimistically, when someone (an athlete, in particular) has been struggling with an injury and decides to quit, he could say: “Всё, отвоевался” (“That’s it, I’m done warring”).

The well-known saying, На войне как на войне (“all’s fair in war,” or “a la guerre comme a la guerre”) has also made its way well beyond military life. It now merely implies that drastic conditions require drastic measures – no holds barred (все средства хороши).

Unlike today, in Soviet times, particularly after the USSR defeated the Nazis in the Great Patriotic War (Великая Отечественная Война, not called WWII here when referring to Russia’s war with Germany), our военные (servicemen) enjoyed undisputed authority and prestige; anything related to them had a positive connotation. To say someone had военная выправка (“military bearing”) meant that their attire and manner was straight, ordered and attractive. If someone delivered a concise oral report or always spoke to the point, he was complimented for speaking “по-военному чётко” (as concisely as a serviceman).

In recent years, however, things military have become less popular. The obviously negative aspects of war are highlighted in the proverb, Кому война, а кому мать родна (“to some it is war, to others a dear mother”). It means that war is atrocious for some, but others benefit from it. The liberal press likes to employ this proverb when criticizing President Putin and Russian generals on the war in Chechnya.

But of course war is atrocious. The bard Bulat Okudzhava expressed this eloquently in many of his works, including Do svidaniya, malchiki (“Goodbye Boys”): Ах война, что ж ты, подлая, сделала? (“Akh, war, what have you done to us, you villain?”) More recently, the Russian rock group Lyube, in their song “Kombat,” echoed Okudzhava’s forty-year-old line with, “Ах война, война-война, дурная девка – стерва она.” (“Akh, war, war, she is a nasty girl, just scum.”) Put more simply, in the way only proverbs can encapsulate things: Война кровь любит (War loves blood).

Russians of all generations – those who fought in wars and those who have not – would certainly subscribe to these sentiments. We have indeed learned from war “the hard way” and deserve several centuries of peace. As another of our “war-torn” sayings has it, Повоевали – и будет (“we are done warring, and ever will be”).