Orc (slang)

Orc (Cyrillic: орк, romanised: ork), plural orcs (Russian and Ukrainian: орки, Russian romanisation: orki, Ukrainian: orky), is a pejorative commonly used by Ukrainian citizens[1] to refer to a Russian soldier[2][3] participating in the Russian-Ukrainian War. It comes from the name of the fictional humanoid monsters of the same name from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel "The Lord of the Rings."[4]

Usage

Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014, Ukrainians have used the term to describe and demonize Russian forces and tactics.[5] During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainians[6] began to massively use the term "orcs" in relation to Russian military personnel.[7] The Meduza news website notes that the nickname "orcs" finally became a derogatory name for the Russian army on February 25 - then it appeared on the official page of the Ground Forces of Ukraine.[8] Al Jazeera English and Politico included the term as an example of the "new language of war in Ukraine."[9][10]

According to the Courthouse News Service, the nickname is part of Ukrainian propaganda.[11] The term is used by Ukrainian senior officials, the military and the media, and is also used in official reports of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.[12] For example, in early March 2022, in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, demonstrators protested against "orc looting." On April 8, the chairman of the Sumy Regional State Administration, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, announced that his region was now "free of orcs." The Mayor of Makariv Vadym Tokar followed him the next day, he stated that the bodies of 132 civilians were found and that they were "killed by Russian orcs."[13]

Criticism

Mick Ryan in an article for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes that Ukraine, calling Russian soldiers "orcs," is engaged in dehumanization.[14] The Meduza edition has the same opinion.[15] Meduza's news department notes that when it comes to coverage of the invasion and related stories, the use of evaluative dehumanizing media clichés, such as "Nazis" or "Orks," should be alarming, which "in any case sets up a certain emotion, and not on the perception of information."[16]

According to the head of the Ukrainian Commission on Journalistic Ethics and co-founder of Hromadske Radio, Andriy Kulykov, calling the Russian military "orcs" is not a journalistic violation, but is a step towards dehumanization and "plunges us into a world of fantasy, and war is real."[17] The Lithuanian scientist and public figure Tomas Venclova said in an interview: "I will not call Russians rashists or orcs - this is inhumane."[18]

The British magazine The Spectator compared the "brutality and chaos" of the Russian troops to Tolkien's orcs and noted that the use of this term may not be just an accidental insult, but the result of drawing an analogy between the Middle-earth conflict and the geopolitics of the real world.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Что такое Украина? Репортаж писателя Джонатана Литтелла. Он съездил в Бучу и другие города под Киевом — и своими глазами увидел последствия российской оккупации". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  2. "In 'Ukrainian military Oscars,' Ukraine promotes army and mocks Russia". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  3. "Life Under Russian Occupation: Hunger, Fear and Abductions". VOA. 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  4. "Ukrainian man tracks 'looted' AirPods to follow Russian troops". euronews. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  5. "Orknash: Supporting the Home Team (Russia's Alien Nations)". NYU Jordan Center. 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  6. Cohen, Eliot A. (2022-10-22). "The Words About Ukraine That Americans Need to Hear". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  7. "Why Russians are called Orcs?". The Happy Beavers. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  8. "Мобики". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  9. Mirovalev, Mansur. "'Orcs' and 'Rashists': Ukraine's new language of war". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  10. "The Rashists from Mordor vs. the Tractor Troops: Ukraine's new language of war". POLITICO. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  11. Burdeau, Cain (26 April 2022). "Russia warns of World War III, West boosts arms to Ukraine". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  12. Macias, Holly Ellyatt,Amanda. "Zelenskyy speaks to Macron as fears over nuclear plant mount; explosions hit Russian ammo depot in Crimea". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. "Ukrainian and Russian Tolkien fans battle over the legacy of 'The Lord of the Rings'". Le Monde.fr. 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  14. "While the war in Ukraine rages these three issues must be addressed now". ABC News. 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  15. "Мобики". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  16. "Не можете больше видеть все эти ужасные новости? Или, наоборот, не можете перестать читать? Инструкция "Медузы" — как сохранить себя". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  17. "Многие украинские журналисты после 24 февраля говорят, что участвуют в "информационной войне", помогая своей стране победить Россию. Как это изменило их профессию?". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  18. "'I will not call Russians rushists or orcs – that's dehumanising' – interview". lrt.lt. 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  19. MacLachlan, Christopher (2022-04-10). "Why are Ukrainians calling Russian invaders 'orcs'?". The Spectator. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
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