The compound name is polite people. Annexation of Crimea: How “little green men” became “polite people”
“Polite people” became a meme and a brand
Shortly after the tragic events in Kyiv in February 2014, a relatively peaceful change of executive authorities took place in Crimea and Sevastopol, and on March 16, the famous referendum on the future status of the peninsula took place. At the referendum, by an absolute majority of votes, a decision was made on the entry of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia. Based on the results of the referendum, the Supreme Council of Crimea adopted the Declaration of Independence. After this, Crimea unilaterally announced its secession from Ukraine and signed an agreement with Moscow on joining the Russian Federation. Sevastopol did the same, receiving the status of a separate subject of the Russian Federation.
"Little Green Men"
All these events in Crimea took place with the very visible participation of well-armed and organized people in camouflage and masks, but without identification marks. And although many knew or guessed that these were Russian military personnel, there was no official confirmation of this information for a long time. But suddenly, the armed helpers of the Crimean Spring, who were first called “little green men,” had a name that instantly became a meme: “Polite People.” Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the veil of secrecy from the origins of the “polite people”, acknowledging the participation of the Russian military in the Crimean events, and many of them were awarded medals “For the Return of Crimea.”
These medals indicate the dates of the Crimean Spring: 02/20/2014-03/18/2014. However, “polite people” appeared in Crimea a little later than the first date - in the last days of February - and immediately took under protection the most important objects: authorities, transport, communications and infrastructure facilities, enterprises and all locations of the Ukrainian armed forces.
In Crimea, “polite people” carried out their assigned tasks until approximately the end of March 2014, ensuring the peaceful evacuation of Ukrainian units from the peninsula. And since April, the armed people who led the seizure of various objects in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the South-East of Ukraine began to be called “polite people”. True, in fact it was a slightly different story.
Where does the term come from?
The author of the term “polite people” belongs to the respected colonelcassad(Boris Rozhin). Here's what Wikipedia writes about it: "... The term was accidentally coined on February 28, 2014 by LiveJournal blogger Boris Rozhin (colonelcassad), who later recalled it this way:
Personally, I just liked the expression “politely” in relation to unknown persons who seize strategic objects without formally revealing their incognito status, therefore, as a joke (since everyone in Crimea perfectly understood who it was and where it came from) in the style of “but we are you know who this is,” used the expression “polite people” a couple of times, without any ulterior motive that this would have at least some consequences other than chuckles from several readers who might pay attention to the expression I liked"...https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B5_% D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%B4%D0%B8
I’ve been reading Boris’s magazine for quite a long time and I remember the first time this expression, which later became famous, appeared on his blog.
On February 27, media reported that unmarked military personnel blocked the parliament and government buildings of Crimea and then occupied Simferopol airport. “At about one o’clock in the morning, the Simferopol airport was captured by the same people. With weapons, strong, in the same clothes. The head of security said that his people were politely asked to leave,” the Politnavigator website reported at the time.
This news was republished in his LiveJournal by Boris Rozhin, writing: “Polite people have captured two airports in Crimea.” “Personally, I just liked the expression “polite” in relation to unknown persons who seize strategic objects without formally revealing their incognito identity, so as a joke, I used the expression “polite people” a couple of times,” Rozhin later recalled.
Then Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu successfully joked about this. Declaring the falsehood of claims about the presence of Russian troops in Crimea, Shoigu said: “It is difficult to look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there. This is even more stupid if this cat is smart, brave and polite.”
The term quickly caught on, especially since it was fully consistent with the behavior of the “little green men.” They did not communicate with journalists, but behaved emphatically politely with the local population, which quickly earned the love of the Crimeans. Social networks were quickly filled with “cute-cute” photographs in which “polite people” hugged Crimean girls, chatted with children, stroked cats and almost helped old women cross busy streets.
This image became new in the spring of 2014 business card Russian Armed Forces - from now on, Russian soldiers began to be perceived by many not as narrow-minded martinets, but as modern and professionally trained “polite people.” The new image of the Russian soldier fit perfectly into the patriotic upsurge associated with the return of Crimea.
Armament
The "little green men", renamed "polite people", were dressed in camouflage (or "pixelated") military uniforms, reminiscent of the Russian "Tsifra" uniform, but without identification marks or military insignia. They differed from the Crimean self-defense fighters high quality uniforms, more closed face masks and the most modern weapons.
Judging by numerous photographs, the “polite people” were armed with AK-74M Kalash rifles, GP-25 Koster underbarrel grenade launchers, and Pecheneg-M machine guns. They drove around Crimea in GAZ-233014 “Tiger” armored vehicles, as well as KamAZ-4326, KamAZ-4350 and KamAZ-6350.
We must pay tribute to those who gave orders to the “polite people”: these weapons were practically not used - the displacement of the Ukrainian military took place almost everywhere relatively bloodlessly. The loudest stories took place during the night capture by Russian paratroopers of the base of the 1st Feodosia Marine Battalion of the Ukrainian Navy under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Delyatitsky and during the assault on the air base in Belbek, commanded by Colonel Yuliy Mamchur.
In Feodosia, at the suggestion of the commanders, the outcome of the confrontation was decided by wall-to-wall hand-to-hand combat with the participation of senior officers. There were broken faces and broken ribs, but there were no dead or seriously wounded. On video: the story of a Ukrainian military man who was “bruised” during a fist fight between Russian and Ukrainian marines.
As military experts later noted, the style of the operation to neutralize the Ukrainian armed forces in Crimea was more like the actions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which for many years was headed by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
“Everyone is free to assess the political significance of this story according to their convictions. But I consider it lucky for everyone that the decisive orders in Crimea were given by people who valued other people’s lives no less than military glory,” noted military journalist Valery Shiryaev.
Confession
Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for quite a long time denied the actions of Russian troops on the peninsula during the Crimean Spring. The term “polite people” was perceived as a euphemism, since the presence of Russian military personnel on the territory of Crimea was an open secret from the very beginning.
The need to dissemble disappeared when in April 2014, during a “direct line”, Putin admitted that the Russian military “provided conditions for free expression of will” in the referendum on the status of Crimea.
Later, in an interview, the Russian President confirmed that Russian troops blocked Ukrainian military units. “We never hid it,” Putin said on the ARD channel.
On video: Vladimir Putin about “polite people”
"Polite people" in art
Literally in the first hours after the term “Polite people” appeared on LiveJournal, a poem of the same name by the Estonian blogger E-xanax appeared:
“People are polite in polite Crimea
IN polite form they ask politely.
Somehow I don’t want to quarrel with them
After all, even weapons are carried politely.
Polite helmets, masked faces
Believe me, even the cars are polite
Look at this, capital
Polite means peaceful in our opinion.
Pinwheels fly in the polite sky.
The blades chirp politely in the sky.
Polite boat doesn't want war
He's on patrol. Very polite."
When the secret ceased to be a secret, and the history of the annexation of Crimea, on the contrary, became a source of pride, the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army named after Alexandrov performed the anthem “Polite People”, using a poem by an Estonian blogger. At the same time, the authors of the work deny that the poems were, in fact, borrowed from the Internet.
Later, a more “canonical” song about “polite people” appeared in the ensemble’s repertoire.
About the number of souvenirs, jokes, toys and similar masterpieces popular culture We won’t talk about the topic of “polite people” that suddenly became fashionable, this is already clear. But the main thing is that “polite people”, together with the Crimeans themselves and their outstanding leaders, became the real heroes of the Crimean Spring.
MOSCOW, May 16 – RIA Novosti. Friday, May 16, marks two months since the referendum in Crimea, in ensuring the security of which “polite people” - military men without identification marks - took an active part.
During the “direct line” on April 17, Vladimir Putin confirmed that these were representatives Russian army. Since that time, the expression “polite people” has firmly entered the political and everyday vocabulary of the entire country and, according to experts interviewed by RIA Novosti, is gradually becoming a new symbol of the Russian Armed Forces.
A monument to the "Polite Soldier" will be erected in BakhchisarayThe purpose of creating the monument is the desire of city residents to perpetuate the memory of those people who ensured the peaceful and free expression of the will of the citizens during the all-Crimean referendum, according to a message on the City Council website."Polite people" with a machine gun
This meme, as they like to say on the Internet, began at the end of February - beginning of March, when, against the backdrop of the bloody events in Kiev, armed people in camouflage without identification marks began to appear throughout Crimea.
They began, as the local press wrote, to “politely block” local military and transport facilities in anticipation of the March 16 referendum, in which more than 96% of voters were in favor of the peninsula joining Russia.
Answering questions from Russians in April, Putin explained that Russian military personnel stood behind the Crimean self-defense forces because “it was simply impossible to conduct the referendum in any other way openly, honestly, with dignity and to help people express their opinions.” He also said that he would reward the military personnel who took part in ensuring security during the referendum, but would do this non-publicly.
Later, the Russian leader sarcastically said that the United States “revealed” the secret of the identities of “polite people”: judging by the sanctions list, these are businessmen Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk, Boris and Arkady Rotenberg.
“I think they are just “polite people” in camouflage, with machine guns. And their last names are kind of strange - Kovalchuk, Rotenberg, Timchenko. Typical Muscovites. I think you should stay away from them,” he answered with a smile Putin asked whether the sanctions against these entrepreneurs are related to their possible involvement in the events in Crimea.
"The military got meaning"
The expression “polite people” largely characterizes the new quality of the Russian Armed Forces, which “everyone saw in Crimea” - this is fundamentally new equipment, new weapons, new means of communication, as well as speed and decisiveness of action, he believes Chief Editor magazine "National Defense" Igor Korotchenko.
In his opinion, to a certain extent this is the result of Shoigu’s activities as Minister of Defense.
The Russian Armed Forces, after the collapse of the USSR, found themselves in a state of deep crisis, in last years are receiving injections of many billions of rubles, gradually replacing outdated and morally and physically weapons with the most modern ones.
“Shoigu brought the army and navy into motion - the military people received meaning. The positive is evident here! The attitude of society towards the army has changed, so it has embraced its new face with full enthusiasm. The army today in Russia is becoming prestigious social institution, the authority of the RF Armed Forces is being revived,” said the RIA Novosti expert.
According to him, the new attitude towards the army and its new image are not imposed from above, this is the result of understanding and conscious pride in one’s country, because “no image can replace real combat training.”
"It was here that all the components were taken into account, as a result of which this new brand“polite people” who characterize the intellectual component and military power of Russia. People wear T-shirts with “polite people” on them—this is patriotism, not imposed from the outside,” Korotchenko believes.
According to him, the new image of the Russian army has become widespread also because high assessments were made not only within Russia, but also from Western experts.
“This is also an indicator - no one expected that the Russian army could demonstrate this new look with such efficiency and clarity. It is very attractive, positive and deserves high praise, including from the current NATO generals,” the agency’s interlocutor added.
Brand in the service of the military
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not stand aside from the general interest in the new meme and tried to put “polite people” at the service of the image of the Russian army. Thus, the head of the cultural department of the military department, Anton Gubankov, wrote the words for the anthem to “polite people,” which was performed during the tour by the Ensemble named after. Alexandrov in Crimea and was received with a bang.
In addition, for Victory Day, the Ministry of Defense decided to start selling branded products with the “Polite People” logo. Special pavilions where those wishing to be able to purchase T-shirts and other products will operate in holidays in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and other major cities of Russia.
True, it is not clear whether the Ministry of Defense intends to continue this practice in the future: questions may arise with the right to the brand. As Izvestia wrote, about a month ago, St. Petersburg businessman Roman Yeremyan registered the Polite People brand and is making plans to export clothing.
Russians miss "normal, polite guys"
The Ministry of Defense explained the popularity of a video about the benefits of serving in the army that recently appeared on the Internet by yearning for “politeness.”
The video, titled “It’s... the first day of your NEW life,” was posted on YouTube by user mrdmitry187 on May 4th. Since then, it has received almost 1.5 million views; On this video hosting site alone, over 5.5 thousand comments have already been left under the video.
“We are pleasantly surprised by such support from the young audience for the video. Today we can state that “politeness” takes over not only cities, but also wins hearts.<…>Our society really misses normal, polite guys,” a representative of the Ministry of Defense told RIA Novosti.
He confirmed that the military department participated in the work on the video. “Of course, we know the authors of this original material. These are young, creative and patriotic guys who did everything themselves, from developing the script to its implementation,” noted the agency’s interlocutor.
The video lasts a minute. "This is the first day of your new life. What happened yesterday does not matter. Who you were before no longer cares. Now what matters is who you will be today. Here pain hardens, scars are everyday life, it is you who try to prove something, you are trying to see your enemy in every shadow, because without an enemy there is no fight, and without a fight there is no victory. But in fact, the main enemy is you. Yesterday's you. Your task is to hunt down the enemy, catch up with him, surpass, become better than him, and come back as a winner. Because tomorrow is the first day of your new life," says the announcer's voice-over.
The video ends with the image of the coat of arms of the Ministry of Defense and the inscription “Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”
A year ago, a referendum was held on the Crimean peninsula, as a result of which this territory became part of Russia. Since the end of February, armed people without insignia on their uniforms began to appear in large cities and took control of the main buildings and strategic objects. It later turned out that these were Russian military personnel who provided “conditions for the free expression of the will of the Crimeans.” It is about these military personnel, called “polite people” or “little green men”, that we will talk further.
On February 27, 2014, the parliament and government of Crimea came under the control of armed people. They entered the buildings of the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers in Simferopol, removed the guards and replaced the flags of Ukraine with the flags of the Russian Federation. On the same day, the Supreme Council of Crimea dismissed the Council of Ministers and appointed a referendum on the status of Crimea.
“At about one o’clock in the morning, the Simferopol airport was captured by the same people. With weapons, strong, in the same clothes. The head of security said that his people were politely asked to leave,” said a witness to those events.
Later, military units of the Ukrainian army in Crimea were blocked.
The media used the term “little green men”, allegedly coined by residents of Crimea.
On March 1, Vladimir Putin addressed the Federation Council on the use of the Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine until the situation in the country normalizes. The Federation Council supported his appeal.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu: “As for allegations about the use of Russian special forces in the events in Ukraine, I will only say one thing: it is difficult to look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there. It’s even more stupid if this cat is smart, brave and polite” (April 17, 2014, answering questions from journalists).
In April, Putin admitted that these were Russian military personnel who provided “conditions for the free expression of the will of the Crimeans” in the referendum on the annexation of the peninsula to Russia on March 16, 2014.
“We had to take the necessary measures to prevent events from developing the way they are developing today in the south-eastern part of Ukraine: so that there were no tanks, so that there were no combat units of nationalists and people with extreme views, but well armed with automatic weapons. Therefore, our military personnel, of course, stood behind the Crimean self-defense forces. They acted very correctly, but, as I said, decisively and professionally,” Vladimir Putin said on April 17, 2014, answering the presenter’s question about polite people as part of the “Direct Line with Vladimir Putin” program.
On September 16, 2014, the establishment of a holiday dedicated to the military who monitored security during the referendum in Crimea was proposed by State Duma deputy from A Just Russia, leader of the Russian Party of Pensioners for Justice, Igor Zotov. He proposed celebrating the Day of “Polite People” on October 7, Vladimir Putin’s birthday.
In the explanatory note of the project, the establishment of a new holiday was explained by numerous appeals from grateful citizens to “polite people.”
The activities of “polite people”, who, according to Mr. Zotov, became “a symbol of the Russian armed forces,” not only contributed to the holding of free elections in Crimea, but also provoked an increase in patriotism among Russian citizens.
Head of the Committee on Defense and Security of the Federation Council Viktor Ozerov: “The most important thing that he (Sergei Shoigu) did is he turned the “little green men” into “polite people”” (December 17, 2014 about the actions of the head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu).
On April 22, 2014, the Bakhchisaray City Council decided to erect a monument to the “polite soldier” in Bakhchisaray on Chekhov Street - “with elements of recreation areas for the population.” Whether the monument will be erected is still unknown.
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Franz Klintsevich: “They don’t threaten anyone, not a single living creature, not a single country, but these “little green men” won’t give up an inch of their land, even if (in NATO) they don’t even worry: no matter what they they did, no matter how much they trained and armed themselves, they couldn’t catch up with Russia” (August 18, 2014)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “They have always been in Crimea. The Russian Navy base facilities are located not only in Sevastopol, and our military personnel had the right to move between them. Everything happened in strict accordance with the existing agreement with Ukraine. Yes, at some point the number of Russian troops in Crimea increased, but, I repeat, we did not exceed the quota,
permitted by the Russian-Ukrainian agreement on the naval base" (September 10, 2014 in an interview with TASS, answering a question about polite people)
On February 27, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing a new memorable day - Special Operations Forces Day.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov: “At the time of the referendum, as Vladimir Putin said yesterday, the security of the referendum was really ensured by special people, polite people” (April 18, 2014 on the TV channel “Russia 1”)
The authorship of the term “polite people” is collective: the idea to call the Russian military that way came to the minds of several activists at once, and it was promoted by blogger Stanislav Apetyan, known online under the nickname “polittrash.”
It turned out that you can make good money on “polite people,” as well as on other symbols of patriotism. Clothes, mugs and other souvenirs with the inscriptions “Polite people”, “Crimea is ours”, “Nyash-myash” are now sold in many stores.
In the spring of 2014, the trademark “polite people” of the same name was developed and registered by Voentorg OJSC, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense. Now Voentorg successfully distributes T-shirts with “polite people” throughout the country. “This trademark is used to increase public interest in the subject of the Armed Forces,” says Ekaterina Korotkova, Advisor to the General Director of Voentorg OJSC. “This year there is a high consumer demand for military goods and goods
allowing one to associate oneself with the Russian Army. We decided to kill two birds with one stone: to offer young people stylish and practical clothes and to contribute to the popularization military service. At the same time, the commercial component is secondary.”
The main events unfolded on the night of February 27, 2014. After a mass fight between Russian residents and Tatars (supporters of the Euromaidan) in which there were many wounded and even dead, well-equipped masked people appeared who quickly seized the buildings of the Crimean government and the Supreme Council. Then, within weeks, the most significant objects of the entire peninsula and the capital of the republic were taken under control.
These people had no nationality or insignia, but in private conversations with Crimeans they admitted that they were Russian soldiers. Russia, as one would expect, completely dismissed these rumors, calling these soldiers Crimean militias.
Why did Russia not recognize these soldiers as its military personnel?
For one simple reason, if Russian Federation would openly admit that there are Russian military personnel in Crimea, then this would mean only one thing - military invasion of Ukraine Therefore, no referendum would have saved the situation; all territorial acquisitions would have been considered annexation. Russian bloggers began to call these soldiers “Polite People.”
So what does "Polite people" mean?
They were called that because they did not interfere in the local Crimean social and political life and did not try to exert any pressure on the Crimeans during the expression of their will in the referendum.They behaved extremely correctly and with restraint with the surrounding citizens and behaved in an emphatically friendly manner. Without any problems they gave permission to film, which was immediately taken advantage of by local girls who decided to capture themselves with the defenders as a souvenir.
However, the most important circumstance is that the presence of “Polite People” on the Crimean Peninsula immediately cooled the hotheads of the Tatars and others calling for a war for the independence of Crimea.
The story of how "Polite People" took the commandant's office. An eyewitness account.
It happened 15 March before the all-Crimean referendum, which was held 16 Martha. It is not known for certain whether their appearance was timed to coincide with this event or was planned in advance. However, the fact remains that people in masks and military uniforms appeared like devils out of a bottle next to the Simferopol garrison.
Simferopol is essentially a large village. Its streets in the central part of the city are narrow, and the houses are one-story, so the appearance of “Polite people” with their faces covered, in helmets and camouflage, with machine guns at the ready, looked very impressive, especially considering that they arrived in an armored personnel carrier , who threateningly moved the machine gun from side to side.
The Ukrainian servicemen immediately locked themselves in their commandant’s office and completely refused to leave. Whether this was a desire to divide spheres of influence or an outright demonstration of disobedience is now difficult to say. However, it is known that the “Polite People” remained outside the commandant’s office. Since it was March and the weather was unusually chilly, it was funny to watch how the door of the commandant’s office periodically slammed and a Ukrainian soldier came out with a boiling kettle at the ready and gave it to his “polite” colleague.
This disgrace continued for about a week, when one day Ukrainian military personnel began to gather near the door of the commandant’s office and staged a local meeting at which civilians were also present. “Polite people” did not interfere in this disgrace, but watched with great interest what was happening from the sidelines. Moreover, they even drove our armored personnel carrier to 20 meters to the side. Thus ended their last day of duty. Already in the morning, local residents noticed the absence of such “polite” soldiers, in addition, the Russian flag was already flying over the commandant’s office.
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We often hear phrases: “be polite”, “respect others”, “stick to good manners", "be well-mannered." Politeness is a significant difference between a well-mannered person, because it is projected into society in the process of communication. So what does it mean to be polite? What are the main qualities of a polite person?
Basic rules that a polite person must follow
Polite people are endowed with many virtues:
- care not only about themselves, but also about the people around them;
- show politeness and a sense of tact, compliance and respect, are attentive to the interests and habits of others, even if they differ from their own;
- a polite person must follow the rules of behavior accepted in society;
- there is a feeling self-esteem, respect for personal and other people's property;
- sincerity, a polite person should not reproach or express sharp criticism;
- know how to listen and make comments correctly, as well as much more.
In fact, a polite person is one who is constantly evolving. He is characterized by honesty and sincerity in relationships. In case of disputes, he is able to retain negative emotions and will never take out his bad mood on strangers.
Politeness is inherent in all people, as it directly depends on upbringing. Positive qualities in a person develop from childhood, which is the task of parents. That's why to the younger generation it is important to see vivid examples of human politeness in Everyday life. Everything is important here: intonation, manner of gestures and behavior, friendliness, namely, greeting people you know, and much more. By the way, a person is taught to say hello almost from the first weeks of birth. Other qualities of politeness develop as the child grows up.
The meaning of “being a polite person” is now clear to everyone. But this quality has several disadvantages:
- A polite person must show strength of character in certain situations, otherwise excessive gentleness can lead to a negative perception of the results of conversations and disputes;
- politeness manifests itself in excessive responsibility for other people’s obligations, and there is a loss of one’s own time and moral strength;
- mental self-destruction caused by compassion towards others;
- The negative quality of politeness is the excessive correctness of character and sense of tact, the sacrifice of personal benefits in the name of secondary goals.
Let's be frank and agree with the opinion that upbringing or politeness are more in a person's life than just character traits. This is a lifestyle, an example family relations, raising children and much more. Therefore, when planning to leave the house next time, you should not forget about moral values and human principles.
What does it mean to be a polite person?
The question of what it means to be polite in any situation remains relevant, regardless of time and circumstances. According to the ancient Greeks, a polite person is able to pacify any disputes and conflicts, prevent aggressive conversations, and must restrain himself. You have to try hard to demonstrate your ignorance.
First of all, good manners are manifested in the way a person greets. This can be an indifferent nod or good wishes accompanied by a smile. Whichever option you choose, expect to receive it from strangers. It is interesting that greetings in accordance with the rules of society have changed with each era. Remember bows, curtsies, even dances that demonstrate respect and sympathy for your interlocutor. Today, the rules of greeting have been reduced to a minimum: tact, punctuality, helpfulness and modesty. To be a well-mannered person, you should not forget at least about them. Soundly evaluate your behavior, draw conclusions and see how polite you are and whether these qualities are important to people?! Remain beautiful and harmoniously developed externally and internally.
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