Ukraine Introduces Stamp Honoring Soldiers Who Cussed At Russian Warship
Image via Ukrainian Postal Service
On the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, troops arrived at Snake Island via a navy warship and attempted to coerce border guards to surrender.
“This is a military warship. This is a Russian military warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed,” audio from a naval radio channel on February 24 captured.
The Ukrainian soldiers’ reply: “Go f**k yourself.”
The defiant fighters were previously thought to have been killed following the incident, but officials have since reported that they may still be “alive and well.” Prior to this discovery, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would posthumously present the Hero of Ukraine award to the border guards for their “heroic” gesture.
The historic event is remembered on the winning postage stamp of a design contest launched by the Ukrainian Postal Service (Ukrposhta). The sketch, which received the most votes from the public, was created by artist Borys Grokh, who was so moved by the soldiers’ resistance he decided to channel it into art in the hopes to boost morale, NPR reports.
The succinct image depicts a soldier flipping his finger at a warship. As well as commemorating a moment resonant with Ukraine and the rest of the world, it also conveys the nation’s non-combative approach in the conflict with Russia.
The soldiers’ resounding response has evolved into a battle cry for Ukrainians as their lives are upended, unprovoked. Although news outlets have quoted it to mean “go f**k yourself,” an interpreter told NPR that there’s no real English translation for the phrase.
Grokh shared that the illustration took him three days to complete, but he’d have done it in only five hours if not for the outpouring of news.
The postage stamp named "Russian warship, go f**k yourself!" will appear in🇺🇦. The sketch by artist Boris Groh received the most votes and will soon be published by Ukraine's state postal company.
— Emine Dzheppar (@EmineDzheppar) March 12, 2022
🇺🇦✌ï¸#StandWithUkraine#StopRussianAgression pic.twitter.com/ByYAzw2tYq
[via The Guardian and NPR, cover image via Ukrainian Postal Service]
