Russian alphabet 2022: Artist Andrey Bilzho reflects on war and “partial mobilization”. Part III

Content

• Ф [f] Femida. Themis

• Х [kh] Kher Voyne. F*ck War

• Ц [ts] Tsar. Tsar

• Ц [ts] (2) Tsel. Purpose

• Ц [ts] (3) Tserkov. Church

• Ч [ch] Chelovek. Human

• Ш [sh] Shkola, Shok. School, Shock

• Щ [shch] Shchedraya. Generous

• Ъ [-] Ot-yavlenny. Hardened

• Ь [’] Neft’. Oil

• Ы [glottal i] PokhoronY. Funeral

• Э [e] Emigratsiya. Emigration

• Ю [yu] Yudif. Judith

• Я [ya] Ya. I

Wordplay: kher is both the old name of the Cyrillic letter Х and the Russian for “dick”, one of the many euphemisms for the swearword khuy.

“Remember! I am the tsar!” Peter I tells Putin.

“Purpose of visit?” An allusion to Russian artist Vasily Surikov’s Boyarina Morozova, one of the leaders of the Old Believer movement (religious opposition in 17th-century Russia), who was arrested and died in prison.

An allusion to Soviet artist Fyodor Reshetnikov’s painting Low Marks Again in which Putin is depicted as the underachieving pupil.

“Russia is a generous soul!” A slogan-cum-brand of a popular Russian chocolate manufacturer.

“Where are you from, son?”

“Russia.”

“Thank you, Judith!”

The ball and chain read “we”.