During a televised meeting Wednesday, Putin called on his fellow Russians to wait out the nationwide “non-working” month in self-isolation to avoid the further spread of coronavirus — and did so by invoking Russia’s past victories against medieval invaders.

“Everything passes and this will pass. Our country has gone through many serious challenges: When tormented by the Pechenegs and the Cumans, Russia has handled them all. We will defeat this coronavirus contagion,” he said.

The remarks instantly sparked bewilderment — and, as always, lots of memes. 

Some of them drew punchlines from the similarity between Pecheneg and pechen’ye, the Russian word for a cookie. Others noted the similarity between Polovtsy, the Russian name for the Cumans, and plov, the popular rice dish. 

Many poked fun at Putin’s apparent view of the Pechenegs and Cumans — nomadic tribes that raided parts of Russia in the 10th and 11th centuries — as one of the greatest challenges Russia has ever faced. Greater, even, than World War II.

Коронавирус VS Печенеги и Половцы

— We have overcome much worse.

— We defeated the Pechenegs.

— And the Polovtsy?

— And the Polovtsy.голубева@greenlightoff

путин до карантина vs путин после карантина

Putin before the quarantine: “Constitution!”

Putin after the quarantine: “Pechenegs!”

“This is a sword. With this sword I beat the Pechenegs. Stupid Pechenegs I f—ing hate you”Вова Чернов@chern_ov

Путин: у меня в последнее время появился навязчивый страх печенегов

Психотерапевт: не волнуйтесь мы давно их победили никаких печенегов больше нет

Печенеги:

Putin: “In the past week I’ve had an obsessive fear of the Pechenegs.”

Psychotherapist: “Don’t worry, we defeated them long ago. There are no Pechenegs anymore.”

Pechenegs:анатолий ноготочки@A_Kapustin

Печенеги и Половцы обсуждают как будут делить Россию

The Pechenegs and Cumans discuss how they’ll divide Russia:

— “We’ll take the oil, and you’ll take the gas?”

— “Okay!”

— “Natasha, are you asleep?”

— “The Polovtsy have tormented us.”

— “And the Pechenegs have tormented us, Natash.”

— “And the coronavirus infection, Natash, frankly.”

The Pechenegs:

— “So, are we on Google Trends?”

— “No, the Polovtsy are there!”Денис Чужой просит вас не выходить на улицу@fe_city_boy

Я: Надеюсь, Путин перестанет постоянно вспоминать про Великую Отечественную и найдёт, чем ещё Россия может гордиться.

Me: “I hope Putin will stop constantly bringing up the Great Patriotic War and find something else for Russia to be proud of.”

Putin: “Pechenegs.”

(C)MOSCOW TIMES 2020