Pobedobesie (Russian:победобесие,lit. 'victory frenzy, victory mania or victory obsession') is a pejorative term used to describe the perceivablyjingoistic celebrations ofVictory Day in Russia.[1][2] This has been also dubbed theVictory Cult.[3]
The term has been further extended to refer to the weaponization of the legacy of theSecond World War to justify Russia's aggressive policies and an increase ofmilitarism, using theSoviet victory overNazi Germany for propaganda purposes.[3]
The term was coined by Russian Orthodox priestGeorgy Mitrofanov [ru] in 2005 as his response to the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of thevictory over Nazi Germany[4] The word is coined in an analogy with the wordмракобесие (obscurantism):победа ("victory") + '-бесие, a suffix signifying mania, frenzy, derived from the verbбеситься, "to be in rage".
The main state holiday of the Soviet Union was7 November, the day of theOctober Revolution. The day of 9 May was not a holiday between 1948 and 1965. Initially this was due to fresh traumatic memory of the war. DuringKhrushchev's era this was due to the desire to eraseJoseph Stalin's legacy. With theBrezhnev era, Victory Day became an important holiday, which was in line with Brezhnev's efforts in "re-Stalinization". Over time the Soviet victory in World War II remained the only unifying story in chaoticpost-Soviet Russia, which strived to dissociate itself fromCommunism (and hence the October Revolution).[5]
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Victory Day has become an even more central holiday under Russian presidentVladimir Putin, who according to critics has nurtured a "'cult' of theGreat Patriotic War".[1] Russia under Putin has also used the language of Russian victory overNazi Germany to justifyaggression towards Ukraine.[1][3] The Great Patriotic War has, according to Shaun Walker oftheGuardian, gradually become the "centrepiece of Vladimir Putin's concept of Russian identity over his two decades in charge".[3] Russian propaganda expert and historian Ian Garner, states that Putin has reconstructed the Soviet "cult of the Great Patriotic War" in a "manner that has all the hallmarks of a religion", and that "the state's cult of theSecond World War – has been incorporated intoOrthodox Christianity, and vice versa".[6]Julia Davis, a Russian media monitor, describespobedobesie as "an unhealthy obsession with military might and past victories".[7]
In a speech on Victory Day in 2000, shortly after becoming president, Putin addressed a group of veterans, stating: "Through you, we got used to being winners. This entered our blood. It was not just responsible for military victories, but will also help our generation in peaceful times, help us to build a strong and flourishing country."[3]
According toEuromaidan Presspobedobesie has become "one of the most important parts of the propaganda" in Putin's Russia.[8]
Putin's regime usurped the grassroots idea ofImmortal Regiment and turned it into the statewide propaganda event similar to obligatory holiday rallies in theSoviet Union.[4][a]
Noted elements identified with pobedobesie include Russian citizens "adding apapier maché turret to their child'spushchair to make it look like a tank, or daubing 'To Berlin' on their cars."[3] In recent years, slogans such as "We can do it again" (Russian:"Можем повторить",romanized: Mozhem povtorit') have become popular.[3]