The Counteroffensive Is Coming

 

Русский военный корабль, иди нахуй!

 Russian Warship, go F*ck Yourself.

Two Neptunes later . . 

Kalush Orchestra - Stefania

A combination of Ukrainian folk and rap.

The plight of orphans, separated families and refugees is very real, and very acute.

Ой у лузі червона калина / Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow

Oi u luzi chervona kalyna / Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow is a Ukrainian patriotic folk song honoring the Sich Rifles, a Ukrainian unit in the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War.  The song has since become an anthem of Ukrainian patriotism.  Incidentally, in Soviet times, anyone caught singing it would likely receive harsh treatment from the authorities.

Ой у лузі червона калина / Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow

Ukrainian Transliteration	English Translation
Oi u luzi chervona kalyna pokhylylasia, Chohos nasha slavna Ukraina zazhurylasia. A my tuiu chervonu kalynu pidiimemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo! A my tuiu chervonu kalynu pidiimemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo!	Oh, in the meadow a red kalyna has bent down low, For some reason, our glorious Ukraine is in sorrow. And we'll take that red kalyna and we will raise it up, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey! And we'll take that red kalyna and we will raise it up, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey!
Ne khylysia, chervona kalyno, maiesh bilyi tsvit, Ne zhurysia, slavna Ukraino, maiesh vilnyi rid. A my tuiu chervonu kalynu pidiimemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo! A my tuiu chervonu kalynu pidiimemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo!	Do not bend low, oh red kalyna, you have a white flower, Do not worry, glorious Ukraine, you have a free people. And we'll take that red kalyna and will raise it up, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey! And we'll take that red kalyna and will raise it up, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey!
Marshyruiut nashi dobrovoltsi u kryvavyi tan, Vyzvoliaty brativ-ukraintsiv z Moskovskykh kaidan. A my nashykh brativ-ukraintsiv vyzvolymo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo! A my nashykh brativ-ukraintsiv vyzvolymo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo!	Marching forward, our fellow volunteers, into a bloody fray, For to free our brother Ukrainians from the shackles of Moscow. And we, our brother Ukrainians, we will then liberate, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey! And we, our brothers Ukrainians, will then liberate, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey!
Oi u poli yaroi pshenychky zolotystyi lan, Rozpochaly striltsi ukrainski z vorohamy tan. A my tuiu yaruiu pshenychku izberemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo! A my tuiu yaruiu pshenychku izberemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo!	Oh in the field of early spring wheat, there's a golden furrow, Then began the Ukrainian riflemen to engage the enemy. And we'll take that precious, early wheat and will gather it, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey! And we'll take that precious, early wheat and will gather it, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey!
Yak poviie buinesenkyi viter z shyrokykh stepiv, To proslavyt po vsii Ukraini sichovykh striltsiv. A my tuiu striletskuiu slavu zberezhemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo! A my tuiu striletskuiu slavu zberezhemo, A my nashu slavnu Ukrainu, hei-hei, rozveselymo!	When the stormy winds blow forth from the wide steppes, They will glorify, throughout Ukraine, the Sich riflemen. And we'll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey! And we'll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it, And we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine, hey - hey!

Scenes from Azovstal

 The following are a collection of images from the siege of the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol.

Just as the Ukrainians gained acclaim for their defense of the Donetsk International Airport in 2015, so too will those who defended Mariupol and the Azovstal iron and steel works in 2022.

A Reply from the Front

A modern take on the painting by Ilya Repin called the Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.

Two Armies. Two Visions.

 As the Ukraine war grinds on, it might be worthwhile to look at how each side chooses to present it's respective forces to it's own citizens and to the rest of the world.

The Russian Example.

This particular commercial gained considerable notoriety in the West, particularly when compared to a more recent, and much less bellicose commercial produced for the US Army.  The central character of the commercial could be cast as younger, meaner version of Ivan Drago, from Rocky IV.  The message to the rest of the world is that these are the iron men who will show up and go Call of Duty : Modern Warfare on anyone who angers Moscow.

The Ukrainian Example.

As far as I can tell, this commercial takes a much different approach.  Instead of the Russian commercial's stone cold, UFC contender iron men, you see a citizen's army.  Everyday people who have taken up arms in defense of their nation.  You're given the impression that they are varied in their backgrounds and ethnicities, but that they are united in their will to defend their nation.