Remember the ‘polite people’ who seized Crimea away from Ukraine? Now that's the peninsula's official brand

Crimea, the contested peninsula Russia grabbed from Ukraine two years ago, has a new “brand,” according to the man in charge of its Russian government. Sergei Aksenov says development of the Crimean republic will now take place under the trademark “Polite Crimea”—a reference to the “people people” euphemism used to describe the unmarked Russian soldiers who seized the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

“The brand ‘Polite Crimea’ should become not just a symbol of Crimea's hospitality,” Aksenov told a ceremonial meeting of local lawmakers, “but also a sign of quality in all spheres of our lives.” He dedicated most of his speech to Crimea's hopes and expectations that it will become a vibrant center for medicine, food, and especially tourism.

Today, March 16, marks the two-year anniversary of a referendum in Crimea that paved the way to reabsorption into Russia. Aksenov compared the vote to the USSR's victory against Nazi Germany, saying the referendum is on par with his people's “greatest ever achievement.”