It is believed that people call themselves based on the ideal they associate themselves with. Many people do not invent anything to talk about themselves. They simply say the word “man” in their language. And such strangeness? After all, it's an adjective. That is, a word that describes quality, not belonging. Let's find out by delving into scientific works.
What do different peoples call themselves?
The name of some, as has already been said, simply reflects the fact. Thus, the name “Mari” means “man” (Mari) in translation. Gypsies prefer to call themselves "Roma". If you translate it into Russian, you get “man” again.
Other peoples chose to associate themselves with leaders, such as the Jews and the Czechs. Others are accustomed to being associated with their native places. Such are the Poles and Italians. There are even more interesting examples. Germans are generally called by different names. They themselves say “Deutsch”, the French call them “Aleman”, the British call them “Joman”. In Rus' they were called from the word mute, that is, those who do not understand local speech and are unable to answer.
Our people are another matter. Whatever theories they have come up with to explain why Russians are called Russians. Some claimed that this was the name of those Normans who, in the 10th century, set out to rule the local people. Others defended the opinion that the name comes from the name This is a small river - Ros. But there is no such precedent for people to be called from water body. Somehow this doesn’t fit with self-awareness (albeit ancient). Apparently, the theorists were being cunning.
Version by Academician Trebachev O.N.
The scientist also wondered why Russians are called Russians, considering its importance undeniable. In his opinion, the solution should have influenced future fate people. He convincingly proved that he goes back to the ancient Slavic “ruks-” and the Indo-Aryan “roks-”. Both are translated approximately the same way and mean “white, light.” This, by the way, was more like the truth, since the name of the people was associated with racial characteristics, which was justified thousands of years ago. And now we can proudly, referring to an authoritative opinion, answer the question of why Russians are called Russians: “We are the people of Light!” Yes, and the roots of ancient words can be cited to justify it. It will turn out quite objectively, conclusively. Although there are other sources confirming the academician’s theory.
Arabic manuscripts
"Russians are tall people, possessing fair skin, says the manuscripts created long before the known Slavic sources. - These people have blue eyes and fair hair. In addition, they themselves called their land Rus, which meant the rest of the territory, which they did not inhabit, was not considered as the Motherland, that is, theirs. "Perhaps it was from those times that the Russians developed qualities that distinguish them favorably from other tribes. In -Firstly, we do not covet foreign lands. Secondly, we are ready to give for our lives. Agree, this is no longer just a word denoting a people, it is a symbol of their character, and therefore, their destiny. , care for, love) the lands. They grow in them with the soul, making them not territories, but the Motherland in the most sublime sense. This logic, by the way, will tell you why Russians are called vatniks. Although, it seems that the offensive nickname comes from the clothes, which some. our ancestors wore it for a time.
Why are Russians called vatniks?
To understand the depth and dubious offensiveness of this nickname, it is worth talking with those people who still remember the times of the Great Patriotic War. Ask about the living conditions in which they had to survive. What they ate, what they wore. It turns out that most of The population actually saved themselves from the cold by wearing quilted jackets. These are rough and ugly clothes. They called it that because the insulation was cotton wool.
Those who call Russians this way put an offensive meaning into the word. Like, you are poor, uncultured hillbillies. Only the quilted jacket is also a symbol of the heroism of our grandfathers and grandmothers, who were able to defend the rear, giving strength to the front. This is a constant reminder of the feat of every inhabitant of the vast country that defeated fascism. Now we can answer the question of why Russians are called Colorados. These two names have a lot in common.
Colors of St. George's ribbon
In tsarist times, a black and yellow stripe was attached to awards. IN Soviet period they forgot about her. Now in Russia it is a symbol national patriotism. A certain political strategist, not one of our friends, saw in this important attribute a resemblance to the Colorado potato beetle. That one, if you have seen it, is also striped, although its colors are somewhat different from the patriotic symbol of the Russians. However, the cunning political strategist decided that he could take advantage of the similarity and introduce the offensive nickname “Colorado” into circulation. The idea turned out to be not entirely successful, since, judging by information from that side of the planet, it excited the no less patriotic public (USA). People decided that either their fellow countrymen were being beaten somewhere, or that their land was being encroached upon, and out of fear they began to create self-defense units.
Other offensive nicknames
The question of why Russians are called Muscovites is not difficult to answer. Do you remember which city is the capital of our Motherland? This comes from Moscow offensive word. Although there is nothing really offensive about it. It means people originating from Muscovy.
There is a question more incomprehensible to historians: “Why are Russians called Katsaps?” Those who tried to figure this out found out that our people were perceived somewhat strangely by our Western neighbors. It is believed that “katsap” is a modified “kasap”, which means “butcher”. Most likely, the neighbors were afraid of the white-skinned giants, fearless and invincible. There is another thought that explains why Russians are called Katsaps. It is assumed that this nickname came from the Ukrainian "tsap" ("goat"). That is, the neighbors were compared to this stubborn, cocky animal. Foreigners might have been prompted to such an analogy by the beard that every Russian man had, and the ability to get his own way. That is, there was nothing offensive in the name. Just putting perception into words.
When thinking about how we are perceived from the outside, we should understand that this depends on every Russian. The way you behave in a particular situation is used to judge an entire nation. You should remember this. And don't react to stupid nicknames. They are not used by the smartest or most courageous people.
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The very concept of "quilted jacket" was originally used for a specific category Russian citizens on the territory of continental Russia, but when “little green men” crawled into Crimea, it spread to the peninsula.
The Russian slang dictionary slovonovo.ru gives three definitions of the word “vatnik”:
1. A collective image of Russian patriotic cattle. He loves totalitarian power (Putin, Stalin), subordination, equalizing people with the same brush, vodka and everything Russian. He hates the USA and everything non-Russian. The holy holiday for the vatnik is May 9, on which the vatnik likes to get drunk and declare that “his grandfathers fought.” Patriotic, weak-willed and impossibly stupid. Irony and self-irony are absent as such.
2. Man "rolling cotton wool" - not keeping a promise, or just an empty-headed type. As a rule, vatniks are people with great self-importance, important and very busy, but at the same time they do nothing, and if they do (very rarely), it is to no avail. If fate brings you together with a quilted jacket, under no circumstances should you have anything to do with him, don’t exchange numbers, and certainly don’t give him a loan. As a rule, this does not lead to good things.
3. Lethargic guy, sleepy, inactive.
“Vatnik is the bearer of a whole bunch of mutually exclusive political views. Vatnik really needs a Master and a shepherd - a “strong hand.”
The vatnik understands relations between countries and between people exclusively through the prism of the prison-barracks hierarchy: there are godmen, and there are six and lowered ones. In short, a vatnik is a typical Russian redneck with a bias toward politics."
"Rashka - square padded jacket" - such a community operates in social network"In contact with".
Has 25 thousand subscribers. There they post cartoons, songs and messages that present the philosophy of the quilted jacket in an ironic manner. For example:
Wanted to strangle the West
Sanction to our native Rus'!
And I’ll hang myself out of spite -
The action is symmetrical!
Cheap quilted jackets - padded jackets - have become perhaps the most common clothing in the Soviet Union since the 1930s. They were worn by both millions of Gulag prisoners and soldiers of the workers' and peasants' Red Army.
"Here in Lately Among other Russian and foreign liberals, it has become customary to call ordinary Russian people “vatniks,” the Russian undertook to explain on March 14 the essence of the phenomenon.” Historical truth" - They say, what to take from them - “vatniks”, they are “vatniks”. But kind-hearted Russian people are not offended by these words, believing that their opponents simply don’t know what a quilted jacket is. After all, this is not just a quilted jacket, it’s the most mass-produced and most affordable winter clothing in the world, which has saved millions of lives in the cold.”
Vatnikov is now often remembered on Crimean forums. For example, one of the teachers of Sevastopol national university nuclear energy and industry spoke about the change of power at the university: “All students and employees were gathered on the parade ground, a short speech by the acting rector, quilted jackets from among local students and former and current employees retirement age are showing off, and have begun the procedure of “farewell” to the Ukrainian flag.”
From the site tellmemore.name: “Sevastopol forum, the concentration of quilted jackets is 146%, everyone else is simply banned. There is everything - hatred of all countries except Russia, slave mentality, the rule of the strong, “Putin, save us,” the childish confidence that they already Russian. Each post can be quoted here."
The language of Internet memes, like any living Speaking, very biting, hitting the mark, developing. One word can express a lot of information, carries an emotional connotation, and creates a visual image. But before we begin to analyze the concept of “quilted jacket,” let’s understand the meaning of the memes themselves. This - cultural information, as a rule, ironic and witty, a kind of code that quickly spreads in society - first among Internet users, and then among people who rarely surf the Internet. Memes aptly and briefly characterize terms that need to be discussed at length, going into historical excursions. Interstate conflicts favor the creation of memes. They create a certain collective without diverting attention to the subtleties and differences of a particular individual. This is how “ukrops”, “banderlogs”, “potsriots”, “colorados” arose. Well, “quilted jacket”. We will try to explain the meaning of this Internet meme in this article.
Metamorphoses of outerwear
Ten years ago, to the question: “Vatnik - who is this?” you would be politely corrected. Not "who", but "what". This is a type of outerwear, warm, but unpresentable. The prisoners were dressed in quilted jackets. They were also worn by the urban poor. Synonyms for this word were: “sweatshirt”, “quilt”. Does this mean that in the 2000s there were no those who are now called “vatniks”? Why, they were. But they called them differently: “limita”, “gopniks”. This was found throughout the post-Soviet space. It meant a person who was poorly educated, stupid, and unwilling to improve. Links with criminals were often implied. But what distinguishes a gopnik from the current quilted jacket is the extreme degree of apoliticality. He was not a member of any party and did not even often go to the polls. And an indispensable feature of the modern quilted jacket is political butchert.
When did the Internet meme “quilted jacket” appear?
It’s impossible to say for sure, but somewhere in the late 2000s. Moreover, the meme was used throughout the Russian-speaking Internet space. And first the word “cotton wool” appeared. They used it to designate a lethargic person. The meme did not have a strong negative connotation. You could ask a friend: “Why are you so weak today?” (inactive, sleepy). Gradually, the epithet turned into And the word “quilted jacket” began to acquire an offensive meaning. In 2008-10, they began to call it an empty person, a loser who promises a lot, but did not. Entries appeared: “Don’t give him a loan, he’s a quilted guy.” This guy doesn't know how to behave. He, like the old gopnik, cracks sunflower seeds at the entrance (and not in the trash bin, but around himself), loves vodka and prison chanson, and is still apolitical. “Chewing cotton” means not having a clear civic position.
Politicized bastard
First time on the Internet this term was used in the current meaning of this word by a blogger from Novorossiysk Anton Chadsky in September two thousand and eleven. The drawing he created, inspired by the image of “SpongeBob”, depicts a stylized tipsy man in a padded jacket. But unlike the “gopniks,” those who are now called vatniks already had a clear civic position. Although they were often people drawn into politics out of selfish interest, they soon truly believed in ideas that glorified the struggle for stability, order and " strong hand" In this they coincided with another meme - “scoops”.
"Golden age"
There was a whole class of people who were nostalgic for the USSR and the times when “prices were low and there was order.” Basically, these were pensioners who traditionally voted for the Communists, because they believed that this particular party embodied their “golden dream” - to turn back history. The sweatshirt, quilted jacket, and gray, faceless clothes that Gulag prisoners wore served as the basis for the creation of an Internet meme. But in those years, grandparents nostalgic for the Union and Stalin were simply called “scoops.” They were far from being politicized gopniks, but in the old days they belonged to the “middle class”, did not survive the transition to a market economy and gradually slipped to the social “bottom”.
“Vatnik”: the meaning of the word
Since the beginning of 2007, the income level of the population has fallen sharply. This influenced the fact that average age The “scoop” began to decline rapidly. Even those who had the chance to live in this country only early childhood. The Communist Party capitalized on this myth in every possible way to increase its ratings. And gradually in the brains of many people Russian Federation how the legal successor of the USSR began to be associated with a great power, “a sixth of the land,” threatening world imperialism with nuclear weapons. The level of political engagement of yesterday’s “scoop” has increased sharply. The internet meme “liberast” (a liberal-minded person) was launched. In response to arguments about problems in the economy, the “scoops” blamed liberals for everything. Are the prices high, you say? But under the Union... Then there was order... And who is to blame? Liberals, oppies (oppositionists), all sorts of demagogues who want to install us, Soviet people, kneel before American imperialism. This is how the modern meme “quilted jacket” crystallized. The meaning of the word in modern jargon varies from a passive scoop sighing for a bygone state to a jingoistic Russian nationalist. The most aggressive of them were even ready to kill for their “golden dream” of restoring the Great Power.
What does “vatnik” mean in Russia?
The term was fully “mature” by the end of 2013. What does this meme represent? What image does he paint? This is no longer a lumpen gopnik. His income may be average. And he graduated not from a vocational school, but, for example, from a technical institute. This is not an elderly “scoop” who loves to speculate in his spare time about the delights of life “under Brezhnev” and goes out to demonstrate on November 7th with a portrait of Stalin. And this is not even a paid “demonstrator”, ready to stand for bribes under any flag. He has a clear civil position. What is this collective image- padded jacket? Who is this? Let's try to briefly characterize it. He is mostly male, between thirty and fifty. Although there are also “quilted jackets” or “quilted jackets”. His patriotism is pathological. He loves everything that he considers Russian, and ardently hates everything that, in his opinion, is not. However, he often prefers German cars to Zhiguli cars and enjoys watching American blockbusters. Foreign languages does not own it and is proud of it. He loves to drink vodka, sincerely considering binge drinking a national tradition.
Vatnik and power
He loves totalitarianism with all his soul and is ready to tolerate all its manifestations. In response to comments about any problems in the social situation in Russia, he becomes emotional and explodes in a stream of abuse. Usually he has never been outside his country and is sure that “the West is rotting” and that American prosperity will soon come to an end - if not from a military blow, then from internal degeneration. Why are people who bend so actively under a strong hand called quilted jackets? They are weak-willed, do not want to talk about complex things, and love to be controlled. It’s much worse that they want to make everyone the same. Turn into a herd of sheep, dress in dark gray quilted sweatshirts. Therefore, it is believed that the authorities only need to give the command “face” for the quilted jackets - mind you, for free - to rush to beat up political opponents.
Jingoism must be constantly fed by something. As a rule, the victories of the past and the country's armed forces are a source of pride. Very often, in combination with the description of such leavened patriots, “they fought their grandfathers” is mentioned. This meme, like “Colorado,” has recently become synonymous with the term “vatnik.” Who is this and why did he get his name from a potato pest? Vatnik thinks of history only in terms of political conspiracies. He is sure that Americans, fascists, the “junta,” “Caucasians” and, of course, Jews are weaving intrigues around Russia. Anti-Semitism is in the quilted jacket's blood. He hates Hitler, but in terms of the Holocaust he understands him very much, and considers the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact a great achievement, since it allowed the USSR to expand its territory at the expense of its neighbors. Vatnik loves it very much St. George's ribbon and considers this symbol sacred. He is indignant at statements that fascism was defeated in 1945 through the joint efforts of the Allies.
Vatnik and minorities
This social type As a rule, he treats other nationalities with contempt, but speaks out loud about the fraternal union of all peoples. Under the leadership of Big Brother, of course. Until 2013, Ukrainians were also brothers for him. Vatnik is sincerely surprised why the population of neighboring countries that used to be part of it is offended by Russia. After all, she carries the beacon of culture, Orthodox spiritual bonds! For quilted jackets, there is often an equal sign between Russia and the USSR. This is probably why there is little inspiration for the jingoistic patriot. We can say that imperial chauvinism is the religion that the quilted jacket professes. Who is this from a geopolitical point of view? He believes that soon the Great Power will rise from the ashes and will once again gather under its wing the lands that were once stolen (by the Americans and other enemies). This is roughly how one can describe the “vatnik” universe.
Embroiderers
Narrow-minded fanatics are everywhere - and in the opposite camp too. What does vatnik mean in Ukraine? On the one hand, these are yesterday’s gopniks and scoops who want to live under a firm hand. On the other hand, these are supporters of a forceful solution to the conflict. Their dream is to conquer territories at any cost, silence dissenters and instill their values. They also hate “decaying, soulless Europe” and believe that they have their own spiritual bonds. Such people are called “embroidery workers” (from the Ukrainian national shirt).
The last metamorphosis
A year after the start of the armed conflict in Ukraine, Internet memes have acquired a different emotional coloring. The word “dill” has ceased to be a dirty word. They began to be proud of him. Chevrons and others appeared humorous signs differences with this seasoning. The memes “My beloved junta”, “Jewish Banderaites” and “punishers” arose. Russian jingoists also struck back. “Why are only stupid scoops called quilted jackets?” - asks the Patriot's Handbook website. And it convinces: this meme has lost its negative meaning among Russian citizens. Nowadays, a true patriot sees nothing shameful in being called a quilted jacket.
Unfortunately, many such memes, especially in situations of cold and “hot” conflicts, serve to “dehumanize” opponents and see them not as people, but as some kind of inanimate mass.
Availability of information and political situation have given the world so many different memes and slang expressions that some topics on the Internet are simply impossible to understand without explanation. How to understand who a quilted jacket is? By what signs can a person be called a quilted jacket? How offensive is this nickname? It seems that the answer lies on the surface, but in practice there are often outright manipulations and attempts to replace the meaning. It is worth understanding and studying the phenomenon from all sides.
Are all Russians vatniks?
If called for help short definition, then it becomes really offensive. Vatnik is a contemptuous nickname for Russians. You can be offended, or you can pay attention to the beam in your own eye - the Pindos, Jews, dills and chocks “seem to hint” that there is no point in blaming the mirror. Why are Russians called vatniks?
First of all, I would like to recall Captain Vrungel’s reasoning that every herring is a fish, but not every fish is a herring. If you follow this scheme, then every vatnik is Russian, but not every Russian is a vatnik. What is meant here is not citizenship, but self-identification by nationality. This may be a citizen of Lithuania, America, Ukraine or the Russian Federation.
How does vatnik differ from other Russians? Slang is actually a rather accurate mechanism that selects logical names for any phenomenon. We are talking about to a greater extent about people who are extremely fixated on their own national idea, and hatred of everyone who is different is used as a tool to increase their sense of self-importance.
Two-faced quilted jacket: origin of the term
Like the pagan Janus, this creature actually has two forms, each of which is to a large extent is the fruit of propaganda. Who is this quilted jacket? Is it good or bad? Why is this word pronounced either with contempt or with pride, and where did this concept even come from?
A quilted jacket was originally called clothing lined with a layer of cotton wool for warmth: padded jackets, sweatshirts, vests, trousers and even skirts. IN Central Asia one of the types national clothes is a warm quilted robe with cotton wool. Clothing insulated in the same way was widespread in China and Japan. In the USSR, the quilted jacket became universal and mass clothing with maximum utilitarianism and practicality. There was no talk about aesthetics.
Positive appearance
If we consider strictly positive image and listen to what the quilted jackets themselves say about themselves, a rather attractive picture emerges. Who is the quilted jacket, in his own opinion? This is a highly moral person, filled with the best and brightest intentions, he respects his elders, remembers what exactly his grandfathers “fought for,” and honors his history, religion, and statehood.
At the same time, the nickname “vatnik” itself does not offend him. What could be offensive about warm and functional clothing? Yes, it’s cheap, but simple and reliable, and let your opponents chase after the expensive ones, since they don’t understand anything about the right things. Money is not the main thing, striving for wealth is immoral, because first of all you should strive for spiritual values.
Negative appearance
The paradox of the two-faced Janus lies in the fact that he does not have two heads, but only two faces. Consequently, he has one head and his thoughts are quite clear. Therefore, negative character traits are a direct consequence of positive ones. Who is a quilted jacket, since the literally ideal person is described above?
Everything is very simple. Negative traits Vatnik’s philosophy lies in groundless maximalism, which brings almost all good undertakings to the point of absurdity. Respect for elders takes on ugly forms of periodic selectivity, veterans are revered exclusively May holidays. History, religion and statehood have the right to respect only if they are Russian, and everyone else is not worthy. If you point out to a quilted jacket some of the shortcomings of his country, you can learn a lot of interesting things about yourself.
What does the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine have to do with it?
The aggravation of relations between the two countries occurred in 2014. When Crimea came under Russian jurisdiction, the debate between supporters and opponents escalated to such an extent that previously little-known memes were inevitably popularized. The question “Who are the quilted jackets?” inevitably comes up against the question of Crimea's ownership.
However, it would be a mistake to consider the phenomenon of the quilted jacket an exclusively Russian prerogative. Ukraine has its own interpretation of a similar form of patriotism. Previously, the term “sharovarshchina” was more popular; now, by analogy, the name “embroidery” has become more widespread.
Exaggerated patriotism
Where did the problem even come from? If we take psychology as a measure, then no one likes it when someone devalues their efforts, history, state, religion, customs and traditions. You can endlessly love your own, but at the same time you should not demonstratively belittle the values of other peoples, declaring only yourself correct, and this is precisely what quilted jackets sin. Why they are called that, we have already figured out, but how can one ascertain the weak mood in oneself, where is the border between patriotism and paranoia?
Cotton philosophy
The main delusion of radical patriots lies in their conviction of their own exclusivity. If Mother country is good, then this is undoubted evidence that other countries are worse. If our homeland is not as good as we want, then this is undoubtedly the machinations of our enemies - these scoundrels from other countries envy us, fear us, and therefore harm us in every possible way.
It turns out that if someone does not want to recognize the absolute superiority of another country, then this causes aggressive indignation. If we are talking about Russia, then these are quilted jackets. What do they want? The Vat philosophy most often combines perfectly with imperial thinking. The scheme is as follows: Russia is the elder brother, and the former Soviet republics that broke away from the USSR are traitors or deluded “ younger brothers”, who are not able to live fully and independently without a great helmsman. Therefore, it is advisable to return under the mighty wing and revive the superpower, and then, perhaps, the Russians will forgive.
Emotional message definition
Any nicknames that are not liked by those to whom they are attached are definitely offensive. The degree of offensiveness is determined not by the one who voices it, but by the one who is the object of ridicule. Thus, “vatnik” is the same insult as any other derogatory nicknames for other people based on their nationality.
Perhaps this is the main rule. After all, who are the quilted jackets? Perhaps these are the people who believe, for example, that they have the right to call a person from Central Asia a “chock.” The explanation looks rather strange: “What’s offensive about calling a chock a chock?” At the same time, it is worth remembering another world famous case proclaimed national superiority.
By and large, the vatnik is an aggressive militant singer of the idea of the exclusivity of the Russian state. Here's the legacy Soviet Union, when doubt about the exclusivity and superiority of everything domestic was considered sedition. There is nothing reprehensible in loving your country and being proud of it, but it is better to preserve common sense and not declare love for your country obligatory for all other people on the planet.
