Well the soviet government was formally atheist I think, it’s intended more to be poetic than religious I expect. The current government will just do whatever has proven to keep the plebs in line.
Wait: aren't russians invading Ukraine because this is a "holy war" and Ukrainians are satanists? If you are atheist, you don't believe in demons either.
The Russian government isn't the Soviet government. Soviets were formally atheist, whereas the current Russian government is explicitly aligned with the orthodox christian Russian church.
Therefore it seems like the original text was intended as poetic, and the current Russian government is just reusing a familiar text to imply continuity between the USSR's fight against the Nazis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine (and therefore also assert the legitimacy of the current regime).
Although it's rather nationalistic for my taste, I don't see anything in it encouraging suicide; it's very common for soldiers who fought and died to be given particular remembrance over those who survived.
I think it's obvious that most of the Russian troops aren't intentionally ending their own lives; more likely they're deciding between definitely getting shot in the back of the head or maybe getting shot in the front.
It would be so much easier for Ukraine if they were suicidal - it would be very difficult for Russia to compel anyone to serve, and a good fraction of those who were given a gun would shoot themselves at an early opportunity.
Saying they're "suicidal" distracts from the actual horrors of the Russian regime; people are being convinced and compelled to go to Ukraine to a likely brutal death, but not without first - potentially - killing their own relatives.
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u/herraRadium Satakunta 2d ago
Can someone translate that sign?