‘Z’ Symbol Dots Russia In Support Of Ukraine Invasion. Know What It Means | EXPLAINED

The letter ‘Z’ has come to be regarded as a symbol of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian military vehicles carrying out the attack were seen donning the letter, and soon it started to dot Russia. 

Pedestrians cross a street in front of a billboard displaying the symbol "Z" in the colours of the ribbon of Saint George, and a slogan reading: "We don't give up on our people", in support of the Russian armed forces, in Saint Petersburg, on March 7, 2022 | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: At a gymnastics world cup event in Qatar, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak appeared on the podium during the medal ceremony Saturday wearing a "Z" symbol taped to his uniform. The Russian athlete, who bagged a bronze at the event, was standing next to Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun, who won the gold.

Kuliak is now facing disciplinary action for his “shocking behaviour”, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said in a statement Sunday.

The letter ‘Z’ has come to be regarded as a symbol of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian military vehicles carrying out the attack were first seen donning the letter, and soon it started to dot Russia. 

"Z" is a letter that Russian Military are putting on their vehicles departing to Ukraine. Some interpret "Z" as "Za pobedy" (for victory). Others - as "Zapad" (West). Anyway, this symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity pic.twitter.com/iWuBPhhdEb

— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022

“This symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity,” Galina Starovoitova Fellow Kamil Galeev posted on Twitter.

According to media reports, Z stickers can be spotted on cars and billboards displaying the letter are now seen in cities.

The New York Times reported how corporate logos and newspaper names that contain a ‘Z’ sought to highlight it by manipulating the letter, and how a talk show participant recently appeared on screen wearing a T-shirt with a large ‘Z’ printed on it.

Incidentally, the Cyrillic alphabet, a writing system used as the national script in Russia, does not have ‘Z’, which is used in the Latin alphabet. The Russian version of the letter looks more like a ‘3’.

What Does The ‘Z’ Symbol Actually Mean?

While the symbol was first seen last month on armored personnel carriers, tanks and other military vehicles when Russia was building troops along its border with Ukraine, leading to much speculation, it was only on Sunday, March 6, that the Russian defence ministry revealed where it originated from. 

It said the symbol came from the preposition “Za”, which is the first word in Russian phrase “Za pobedu” or “For victory”, according to the NYT report quoted above. 

The United Nations Security Council, which had an emergency meeting on Monday, saw a sharp exchange between Russian and Ukrainian representatives over the symbol and its official explanation, the NYT report said. While Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said “Z” actually stood for “zveri”, meaning beasts or animals in Russian, Moscow ambassador Vasily Nebenzya shot back saying the Russians had their own opinion of who the animals were.

According to a report in The Independent, the symbol appeared on Russian military vehicles back in 2014 also when Russia annexed Crimea.

'Z' Symbol And Its Interpretations

Images of the Z symbol, painted in white with a thick brushstroke, have flooded social media. A particularly popular image of the emblem is a large Z ‘written’ with a black and orange ribbon (see image) — the St. George ribbon, a symbol of the Russian military.

While many Russians are sharing the symbol in support of the invasion, it met with criticism also with some manipulating the letter to make it look like the Nazi swastika.

“This is definitely a state-induced meme,” Vasily Gatov, a Russian-American media analyst based in Boston, told NYT. “There are always people receptive to this kind of message.” 

Maria Butina, who was deported from the United States in 2019 after a jail stint for working as an unregistered Russian agent, posted a video in which she is seen drawing a Z on the lapel of her suit jacket.

“Do your work, brothers. We will always support you,” Butina, who is now a member of parliament, said in the video, apparently referring to the Russian troops in Ukraine.

The state-run RT television network also did its bit to spread the symbol.

People wearing T-shirts with a Z is a common scene now in Russia. 

According to a Reuters report, Z marking on vehicles may act as a signal to fellow Russians in the warzone to identify own vehicles and avoid friendly fire.

The symbol, meanwhile, is also allegedly being used as a threat to those not toeing the state line. In a Facebook post, prominent film critic Anton Dolin showed a picture of a giant white Z spray-painted on his apartment door in Russia and said it was an effort at intimidation. He is opposed to the invasion and has since left Russia.