🛡⚔️ On 23 February Russia marks Defender of the Fatherland Day.
Its origins lie in 1918, when the fledgling Red Army was mobilised amid the upheaval of the First World War and the Civil War that followed. In the Soviet era the date became known as Red Army Day, and later Soviet Army and Navy Day. Since the 1990s it has borne its present name, broadening its meaning to encompass all who protect the nation.
The occasion is steeped in history. Russia's martial tradition stretches back centuries: from the medieval victories of Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipus and Dmitry Donskoy at Kulikovo Field, to the triumph at Poltava under Peter the Great and the stand at Borodino against Napoleon led by Mikhail Kutuzov, and ultimately to victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.
Today, 23 February carries both official and popular meanings. It remains a formal tribute to the armed forces and to veterans past and present, while in everyday life it has also evolved into an informal "men's day", when fathers, brothers and colleagues receive congratulations.
Yet at its core the holiday continues to express a simple idea: gratitude to those prepared, in whatever era, to stand in defence of the Fatherland.
Its origins lie in 1918, when the fledgling Red Army was mobilised amid the upheaval of the First World War and the Civil War that followed. In the Soviet era the date became known as Red Army Day, and later Soviet Army and Navy Day. Since the 1990s it has borne its present name, broadening its meaning to encompass all who protect the nation.
The occasion is steeped in history. Russia's martial tradition stretches back centuries: from the medieval victories of Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipus and Dmitry Donskoy at Kulikovo Field, to the triumph at Poltava under Peter the Great and the stand at Borodino against Napoleon led by Mikhail Kutuzov, and ultimately to victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.
Today, 23 February carries both official and popular meanings. It remains a formal tribute to the armed forces and to veterans past and present, while in everyday life it has also evolved into an informal "men's day", when fathers, brothers and colleagues receive congratulations.
Yet at its core the holiday continues to express a simple idea: gratitude to those prepared, in whatever era, to stand in defence of the Fatherland.
Defender of the Fatherland Day has become a symbol of the people's sincere love for our defenders, of pride in the Army and Navy, in those who have devoted their lives to serving the Fatherland, who reliably stand guard over its sovereignty and security, who are loyal to their military oath and conscientiously fulfil their professional duty.
— President Vladimir Putin
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Russian winter carnival at its finest
❤️🔥 This weekend marked the close of Maslenitsa in Russia – a folk holiday that bids farewell to winter. Alongside piles of blini and good cheer comes the ritual tradition: the burning of a towering effigy, a gesture intended to banish the cold and beckon the spring.
At Nikola-Lenivets, a village and a picturesque art park in the Kaluga Region, artists annually construct a vast wooden installation only to torch it before a gathered crowd. The spectacle carries a distinctive grandeur: part pagan pageant, part open-air gallery, part Russian Burning Man.
This year's theme turns to the legend of Danko, the hero created by Russian/Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. In the tale, he tears his heart from his chest, turning its inner glow into a living flame to guide his people through a dark forest.
Take a glimpse at how the festival unfolded and see the heart of the celebration burn bright.
📸 Nikola-Lenivets
❤️🔥 This weekend marked the close of Maslenitsa in Russia – a folk holiday that bids farewell to winter. Alongside piles of blini and good cheer comes the ritual tradition: the burning of a towering effigy, a gesture intended to banish the cold and beckon the spring.
At Nikola-Lenivets, a village and a picturesque art park in the Kaluga Region, artists annually construct a vast wooden installation only to torch it before a gathered crowd. The spectacle carries a distinctive grandeur: part pagan pageant, part open-air gallery, part Russian Burning Man.
This year's theme turns to the legend of Danko, the hero created by Russian/Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. In the tale, he tears his heart from his chest, turning its inner glow into a living flame to guide his people through a dark forest.
Take a glimpse at how the festival unfolded and see the heart of the celebration burn bright.
📸 Nikola-Lenivets
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🎙 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova's comment on the fourth anniversary of the launch of the special military operation
💬 On 24 February 2022, four years ago, the Russian Armed Forces launched the special military operation, acting pursuant to a decision by President Vladimir Putin. It aims to eliminate threats emanating from territories controlled by the Kiev regime [...]
This forced step came after eight long years, during which our country sought to facilitate a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbass, which arose as a result of an armed coup d'état orchestrated, financed and organised by the West in February 2014 [...]
Russia reached out to Washington and Brussels to warn against encouraging Kiev's aspirations to join NATO, against flooding Ukraine with weapons, and against fostering its militaristic, Nazi and Russophobic sentiments.
Russia's proposals for legally binding security guarantees, including a commitment not to expand NATO eastwards, were ignored.
Among other things, the special military operation has exposed the West's plans to impose a so-called rules-based international order on the international community, the sole purpose of which is to ensure and maintain Western hegemony. The legitimate security interests of Russia and its allies have prevented this from happening. Today, many, including in the West, recognise the flawed and unrealistic nature of this geopolitical project [...]
All objectives of the special military operation will be achieved.
❗️ A lasting, just and sustainable peace can only be achieved by eliminating the root causes of the conflict. The current efforts of our diplomacy are precisely directed towards this task.
Read in full
💬 On 24 February 2022, four years ago, the Russian Armed Forces launched the special military operation, acting pursuant to a decision by President Vladimir Putin. It aims to eliminate threats emanating from territories controlled by the Kiev regime [...]
This forced step came after eight long years, during which our country sought to facilitate a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbass, which arose as a result of an armed coup d'état orchestrated, financed and organised by the West in February 2014 [...]
Russia reached out to Washington and Brussels to warn against encouraging Kiev's aspirations to join NATO, against flooding Ukraine with weapons, and against fostering its militaristic, Nazi and Russophobic sentiments.
Russia's proposals for legally binding security guarantees, including a commitment not to expand NATO eastwards, were ignored.
Among other things, the special military operation has exposed the West's plans to impose a so-called rules-based international order on the international community, the sole purpose of which is to ensure and maintain Western hegemony. The legitimate security interests of Russia and its allies have prevented this from happening. Today, many, including in the West, recognise the flawed and unrealistic nature of this geopolitical project [...]
All objectives of the special military operation will be achieved.
❗️ A lasting, just and sustainable peace can only be achieved by eliminating the root causes of the conflict. The current efforts of our diplomacy are precisely directed towards this task.
Read in full
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❌ К четвёртой годовщине начала специальной военной операции Лондон объявил об очередном «самом масштабном» пакете санкций против России.
Удар направлен против трубопроводной инфраструктуры, атомной отрасли, СПГ-сектора и нефтетрейдеров. Отмечаем, что нападки на российские нефтегазовые компании ведут к дестабилизации мировых энергетических рынков, и в конечном счёте бьют по местному бизнесу и кошелькам рядовых британцев. А тот факт, что под рестрикции попадают и многие структуры третьих стран, вредит энергобезопасности государств Глобального Юга.
Такая попытка торгово-экономического диктата не может привести к какому бы то ни было позитивному результату, в том числе и потому, что сама Британия уже давно не экономическая сверхдержава и не «мастерская мира». Мир вполне может обойтись и без услуг Лондона.
Между тем все обещания об экономическом коллапсе России, повторяемые вот уже четыре года подряд, всё очевиднее расходятся с реальностью. Российская экономика адаптировалась, пока шаткая санкционная башня из слоновой кости год от года становилась всё более громоздкой и бессмысленной.
Британский истеблишмент инвестировал слишком много политического капитала в киевский режим, а также бюджетных средств – в свой военно-промышленный комплекс. И теперь не может остановиться.
Соединённое Королевство по-прежнему не имеет намерений признавать свою роль и ответственность за первопричины украинского кризиса и формирование реалий, обусловивших начало СВО. Подробный анализ этих обстоятельств изложен в сегодняшнем комментарии МИД России.
Удар направлен против трубопроводной инфраструктуры, атомной отрасли, СПГ-сектора и нефтетрейдеров. Отмечаем, что нападки на российские нефтегазовые компании ведут к дестабилизации мировых энергетических рынков, и в конечном счёте бьют по местному бизнесу и кошелькам рядовых британцев. А тот факт, что под рестрикции попадают и многие структуры третьих стран, вредит энергобезопасности государств Глобального Юга.
Такая попытка торгово-экономического диктата не может привести к какому бы то ни было позитивному результату, в том числе и потому, что сама Британия уже давно не экономическая сверхдержава и не «мастерская мира». Мир вполне может обойтись и без услуг Лондона.
Между тем все обещания об экономическом коллапсе России, повторяемые вот уже четыре года подряд, всё очевиднее расходятся с реальностью. Российская экономика адаптировалась, пока шаткая санкционная башня из слоновой кости год от года становилась всё более громоздкой и бессмысленной.
Британский истеблишмент инвестировал слишком много политического капитала в киевский режим, а также бюджетных средств – в свой военно-промышленный комплекс. И теперь не может остановиться.
Соединённое Королевство по-прежнему не имеет намерений признавать свою роль и ответственность за первопричины украинского кризиса и формирование реалий, обусловивших начало СВО. Подробный анализ этих обстоятельств изложен в сегодняшнем комментарии МИД России.
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