March 13, 2020

Russians "Re-Zero" in Online Humor


Russians "Re-Zero" in Online Humor

After weeks of denying his intent to alter the constitution so as to extend his time in office, President Vladimir Putin has announced that he supports the idea of being able to run for president again – possibly extending his rule to 2036, when he will be 84 years old.

Resetting the presidential term clock to zero, or обнуление, immediately sparked online mirth, even though the word does not officially exist. Few other means of expressing opposition to the rapid adoption of the constitutional amendments are available, especially as authorities further limit public gatherings due to the new coronavirus pandemic while expressing criticism is being likened to anti-Russian treason.

Here are some of our favorite memes being shared on the RuNet.

"The State Duma supported the idea to re-zero the years from the Birth of Christ and to start the count from the Birth of Vladimir Putin" [Link]

"Can I re-zero the amount of calories I consumed today? V important." [Link]

Writer Linor Goralik with a rephrasing of Pushkin's tale of The Little Humpbacked Horse.
See the original here.

Obnulinin

Obnulenin - a re-zeroed Lenin mausoleum [LINK]

Moscow city Duma member Darya Besedina, one of a handful of opposition lawmakers, sports a playful opposition t-shirt that her pro-Kremlin colleagues found offensive.

Loketsi Street art
Street artist Loketski creates Obnulin, a new "drug to counter democracy" LINK

You are my first
– You know, you are my first.
– Really?
– Well, after re-zeroing.

LINK


Convicts posing
"Convicts are also requesting that a rezeroing of their terms is added to the constitution." LINK

Tic Tac To a la Russe
Russian tic-tac-to. LINK

Gagarin and Tereshkova
A meme-meeting between Yury Gagarin, and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space who was the one who suggest Putin should be able to run again:
– How is it going, kids?
– Yura, forgive us, we have re-zeroed everything!"

LINK


And of course the requisite cat meme.
Cats Meme
– I am against rezeroing of terms. – Only if the Constitutional Court allows it. – We will allow it. – Ok, let's.

LINK

You Might Also Like

Tsar Vladimir II
  • March 18, 2018

Tsar Vladimir II

Putin has again been elected president. This post was originally written/aired in November 2007. Apparently, it still seems relevant.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Russian Rules

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.
Murder at the Dacha

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.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
A Taste of Russia

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.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
A Taste of Chekhov

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

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.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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