Attributes of patriotism

The visual signs of patriotism in the Baikal regions can be found at every step. On the facades of theaters and museums, stretch marks with the letter Z hang, the owners of the cafe hang banners with portraits of the Russian military, and car owners paint their cars in the colors of the St. George ribbon.

The anonymous photographer “LB” has compiled a selection of “patriotic” photographs that he has taken over the past year and a half in the Irkutsk region and Buryatia.

How Irkutsk region and Buryatia demonstrate love for the homeland

After the start of the war with Ukraine, the word "patriotism" began to appear in the vocabulary of the Russian authorities. Buryatia and the Irkutsk region are no exception. Many patriotic events are being held here - from concerts and automobiles to school lessons and children's competitions.

“Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, new symbols of patriotism suddenly appeared, as if prepared and thought out long before the start of hostilities,” the photographer says. - In a short time, they flooded every corner of the country. And I wanted to fix these changes, as they reflect reality. ”

The author of the photos explains that he was interested in capturing how propaganda is manifested in regions, territorially distant from hostilities, but completely included in the war. “I am observing the contrast of the romanticization of war and its real consequences,” says the photographer.

One of the first in the “patriotic” agenda included cultural institutions. In March 2022, a banner appeared on the facade of the Kyakhtinsky Museum of Local Lore in Buryatia, where, against the background of the military with the Russian flag, it was written: “Kyakha local history Muzy. Power V Pravda. " The director of the museum Bair Tsyrempilov decided to decorate the building. By education, Tsyrepilov is a labor teacher, although he dreamed of becoming a military man. He came up with the layout himself.

In Irkutsk, one of the most patriotic was the drama theater. Okhlopkova. More precisely, its director Anatoly Streltsov. He hung a Z-banner on the facade of the theater in April 2022. The banner was thrown several times with rotten eggs and green, but the director showed resistance and did not remove the inscription. In June, Streltsov transferred money from the sale of tickets to help the Russian military. In July, he went to the front line with concerts with artists. The director of the theater told the "people of Baikal" that supporting military money is his "holy duty."

In the first months of the war, residents of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia actively used their personal cars as “patriotic sites”. The letters Z and V were glued on cars, George ribbons were tied to the mirrors.

In cities where the standard of living is higher, car owners bought ready -made stickers “we don’t throw their own”. The inhabitants of the villages were twisted as best they could. During last year’s business trips to the remote areas of the Baikal, the journalists of the “people of Baikal” saw cars where the letters V and Z were made even from toilet paper.

Later, interest in the patriotic decoration of their cars began to disappear. At least the attributes made of toilet paper can almost never be found.

In Russia, patriotism is often associated with religion. In the village of Selenumum in Buryatia in 2018, a square of memory of fellow countrymen who died in Chechnya and Afghanistan was opened. Since last year, portraits of those killed in Ukraine began to appear in the square. Near the square there is a howitzer of the Second World War, it was presented to the village of the Republican organization "Battle Brotherhood". The muzzle of howitzers (apparently by accident) is deployed towards the Orthodox Church.

The leaders of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia are thinking about patriotism often and publicly. On Russia's Day, the governor of the Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev wrote in his Telegram channel that the inhabitants of the Russian Federation are “imbued with love for the Fatherland”. The failed campaign of Yevgeny Prigozhin to Moscow Kobzev commented as follows: "The strength of Russians - in unity, cohesion and patriotism."

The head of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, approaches patriotism creatively. In the winter of this year, he recited a poem by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach “So told the Politrk tankers” in the television project “The Word of the Classic”. After that, Tsydenov composed the poem "Homeland in the Fire", which he read at a charity concert in Ulan-Ude.

It began like this:

 “My country has passed the line of irreversible. The line of patience and forgiveness passed. When an insidious enemy, biting constantly, dropped blood in a drop. Not only figuratively. " 

The patriotic race includes commercial institutions-cafes, car wash and even tattoo sites. In February of this year, we talked about the tattoo site from Bratsk, where tattoos in the form of the letter Z and v.

“I am a patriot to the root of the hair,” the owner of the salon Sergey Pereguda told the people of Baikal. - Greetings [war] so that I am ready to do them for free. After all, a person leaves to protect the homeland. "

Some catering establishments enter V and Z into their names. For example, the owners of the Buuza cafe in the city of Ust-Ilimsk Irkutsk region acted. Our journalists visited Ust-Ilimsk with relatives of Ruslan Zinin-he shot at the local military commissar to stop mobilization. Now Zinin is judged .

Another “patriotic” sign is Chevrons, which are not only military, but also civilians. The "people of Baikal" talked about the chevrons who sent volunteers from Buryatia to the front. For example, there were such - “Buryats are not evil”, “We need peace! It is advisable all ”,“ We ​​will defeat the vcity ”,“ Not a step back, followed by a morgue ”,“ Be calm and wait for the Buryats. ”

Our photographer noticed chevrons on the clothes of people who visited the opening of the memorial in honor of the Russian military. The memorial was placed in the "Museum in a landfill" near Irkutsk, which is located on the territory of the real landfill of household waste.

Young people are actively involved in patriotic events. The cultural scientist Svetlana Yeremeeva in a recent interview told Baikal people that she sees the danger of the authorities with children, adolescents and students. “We can laugh at the“ conversations about the important, ”but they work out their format,” Yeremeyeva emphasized.

Schoolchildren of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia constantly write letters and postcards to the Russian military. The “Soldier letter” campaign started on March 1, 2022 - a week after the outbreak of war. And since then she has not stopped. Children's letters are delivered to the front with humanitarian aid. Sometimes they are brought by the heads of regions. In February, for example, the Governor of the Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev acted.

“It was important for me to see their [military] smiles when they read postcards from schoolchildren,” Kobzev wrote in his Telegram channel. “The guys were really touched, everyone in these lines heard something warm, close for himself.”

The researcher Svetlana Yeremeeva believes that the authorities work with schoolchildren for the sake of the main goal: young people should get used to the idea that to die for their homeland and sacrifice themselves - the highest good. “But such a strategy may not work - the authorities use archaic cultural technologies that do not always affect the modern child or teenager living in the information society,” says Yeremeyeva.

The competition "Soldier's envelope" was held in the village of Selenuma Duma of the Selenginsky district of Buryatia in April 2022. More than 50 children from Selendum and surrounding villages participated in it. Most often, schoolchildren sang the songs “To serve Russia” and “Forward, Russia”.

The organizer of the concert - Director of the rural club Inga Shornikova, told the “Baikal people” after the competition, which has a great responsibility for raising patriotism from the younger generation. “At school, children feel restrained, there they are within the framework,” Inga explained. - And we have freedom. What song they want, they will sing. Here, the seed of patriotism very clearly lies on the children. This should be actively imposed on a teenage audience. ”

In the city of Kyakhta in Buryatia, attributes of patriotism can be found at every step. The 37th motorized rifle brigade was deployed here, which participated in the war from the first days. In Ukraine, dozens of contractors died, and this even before the start of mobilization had a strong influence on citizens. Local journalist Alexander Farfutdinov called the mood in Kyakhta “depressed” and “no”. At the same time, Farfutdinov said that the level of patriotism among the townspeople is “extremely high”.

The Kyakhta administration hung at the entrance the banner “ZA Russia. ZA President ”, the district center of culture and leisure - the banner of“ ZA ours ”, the children's library - the banner“ Power V Pravda ”.

In the area of ​​Khaim in the Baikal district of Buryatia, many tourists stop. Chaim is on the way to Baikal. There are several cafes. It is believed that the best whites with meat in Buryatia are preparing in Khaim.

Sometimes the symbols of the Russian invasion - the letters V and Z - acquire gigantic sizes. In July last year, they were drawn at the end of the residential five-story building in Ulan-Ude. Residents reported that this was the initiative of the management company.

And in the village of Kultuk, the Irkutsk region, a large letter Z was laid out on a hill. In September of this year, a banner appeared in Kultuka, calling for a contract. It says “not we started it. But we need it. ”

A resident of Kyakhta Sergey Igumnov painted the letters V and Z in his red “Lada” in 2022. Igumnov is proud that the car was decorated so much. In a conversation with LB, Sergei said that "he had thoughts to go there [to Ukraine], but probably early yet." Igumnov works as a watchman, but knows many Kyakhti military, including the dead.

The physical education and sports complex in Ulan-Ude is one of the largest sites in Buryatia. Many events are held here, including patriotic. For example, it was in the FSC that the head of the region Alexei Tsydenov read his poem “Homeland on Fire”.

“I think the patriotic paraphernalia was created in order to cause people a desire to go to war and support it in every way,” the anonymous author of these photographs argues. - The symbols are aimed at lighting a hatred of a neighboring state in a person, to cause a sense of revenge for their fellow citizens. To create the illusion that Russia is right in this conflict, and around is evil and deception. ”

The photographer notes that this year patriotic symbols have already bored many residents of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. “They entered the daily picture to the world, and they either do not pay attention to them, or they are condemned,” says our interlocutor. “Although there are those who still proudly glue the stickers“ do not throw “their own on their own car.”

Over the past six months, according to the author of photographs, the “patriotic” focus in the Irkutsk region and Buryatia has shifted. Instead of numerous stretch marks with Z and V, banners massively appear on which they advertise the contract under the contract. Together with them, banners are hung with portraits of the military who died in Ukraine and awarded posthumously.

"People of Baikal" is listed by the deceased military from the Baikal regions. The death of 722 military from the Irkutsk region and 1063 military from Buryatia was officially confirmed. This is data from mid -October 2023.