March 09, 2025

A Musical Military Meme


A Musical Military Meme
So sigma. Red Boi Cong, YouTube.

On February 22, a video of the Red Army Choir singing a song entitled "Sigma Boy" was broadcast on Russia Today and Sputnik, two television channels run by the Russian state.

The song was released to coincide with Defenders of the Fatherland Day, a Russian holiday honoring men. Of course, it also nods to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, with plenty of shots of tanks, artillery, helicopters, and President Putin himself (who is undoubtedly a sigma boy).

The song has a rousing beat. In part, its lyrics translate to:

"True sigma boy, sigma boy, sigma boy / All the girls want to dance with you / Strong and brave / Stands for the Fatherland like a mountain ... Ah, what a man! / This look is fire! / Age will not be a problem / You will never bend."

The term "sigma boy" appears to be a reference to Gen Z internet slang, wherein a "sigma male" is an assertive, aloof, ambitious individualist. This contrasts with the traditional conceptions of an extroverted "alpha" and submissive "beta."

The song first first appeared on the internet written and performed by Russian middle-schoolers last year (it received millions of views), but was only recently covered by the Red Army Choir.

To answer a meme with a meme: How do you do, fellow kids?

You Might Also Like

Memes For Our Times

Memes For Our Times

We explain ten recent memes that best capture the current sociopolitical mood across a large subset of Russian society.
Narrow or Russian?
  • September 19, 2022

Narrow or Russian?

A sappily patriotic pop song, "I'm Russian," gets a parody: "I'm Narrow."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
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.
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. 
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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