Latest news with #Zliterature
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers': The Russian literature encouraging teens to enlist
'Z literature', a subgenre of Russian fantasy fiction characterised by nationalistic, pro-war storylines, has been on the rise since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and may be pushing young readers towards enlisting in combat. Z literature – named after the 'Z' symbol of support for the invasion – often features popadantsy, or 'accidental travel' narratives, involving a protagonist being transported to pivotal moments in Russia's past and using modern knowledge to intervene and alter history in Russia's favour. 'Providing a powerful strain of jingoistic nostalgia, these narratives satisfy readers' yearning for the lost superpower status by rewriting the past,' according to Mediazona, the independent Russian news outlet which reported on the boom in Z literature in May. Z literature is targeted at young men who will soon be the focus of enlistment drives, said Colin Alexander, a senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University. 'In times of war, all countries will try to inspire those demographics targeted [for] soldiering through a range of propaganda strategies.' While news broadcasts are often focused on by propaganda researchers, 'the reality is that publics are most inspired to serve the war effort through storytelling entertainment media and that excites and inspires. Russia is certainly using these well-trodden wartime emotional propaganda techniques, but it is important to state that wherever there is war we tend to find them.' These 'Russian hyper-nationalistic genre novels with their outsize heroics are significant because they are made outside the formal propaganda apparatus of the state,' said Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, emeritus professor of communications at Queen Mary, University of London. 'They are pieces of individual entrepreneurship but highly predictable, as if from a common template.' While the books 'connect of course with Hollywood hyper heroics' such as Captain America, and the 'literature imbibed by Victorian British schoolboys' such as the novels of GA Henry, 'the difference lies in their crudeness and the extent of their hypernationalism which takes them into the realms of fantasy. They retain not one shred of credibility.' 'They offer a binary world of hateful foreigners and wonderful Russians – or at least, Russians who become great after learning the lessons of experience,' he said. Books falling in the Z literature subgenre, according to Mediazona, include Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk, in which Ukrainians are portrayed as Nazis and the whole world has turned against Russia, and White Z on the Front Armour by Mikhail Mikheev, about a Russian agent who enters Ukraine after the full-scale invasion begins and apprehends a western spy. 'The market is clearly young and male, but what is stunning is the coarseness. It would be funny if it were not really real. [The books] are tapping into a terrible appetite for destruction, deep yearnings for revenge and a strange view of the Russians as a kind of herrenvolk, a unique people. One source of this mythology is the belief that second world war victory was almost entirely of Russian authorship,' said O'Shaughnessy. Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion 'So these are master-race fantasies which to work require the diminution of other peoples, their subjugation – and arousing hatred is the lubricant for this.' Another example of Z literature, reported Mediazona, is PMC Chersonesus by Andrei Belyanin, a popadantsy story which sees a former marine on a mission to return artefacts to Crimea with a team resembling Aphrodite, Heracles and Dionysus. Along the way, they encounter other figures from Greek mythology and zombie Nazis. Their final mission involves stealing Scythian gold from the Netherlands – a plotline nodding to the real-life loaning of gold to an Amsterdam museum pre-annexation, which the Dutch supreme court ultimately decided should go to Ukraine, not Crimea. 'Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers,' Jaroslava Barbieri, a researcher at the University of Birmingham, told The Telegraph. 'The Kremlin isn't trying to appease aggression – it's cultivating it.' All healthy men aged between 18 and 30 must complete one year of service in the Russian military. Though conscripts in theory cannot serve on the frontlines, there have been reports of them signing combat contracts under duress.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The sinister Russian novels fuelling a rise in young people fighting for Putin: How 'Z literature' is enticing young men to enlist
A chilling new wave of ultra-nationalist fiction is sweeping through Russia, and it is aimed straight at the country's teenagers and young men. Dubbed 'Z literature', the action-packed novels are being branded the Kremlin's latest weapon in a growing propaganda war as they lure vulnerable young readers into enlistment and glorify death on the battlefield. From mainstream bookshops to school libraries, these novels are saturating Russian youth culture with one central message - fight, die, and serve. Named after the 'Z' symbol splashed across tanks and billboards to promote the invasion of Ukraine, these books present a dystopian world where Russia stands alone - noble, embattled, and surrounded by Nazi enemies. Heroes are not just brave soldiers, but martyrs, laying down their lives for glory, brotherhood, and Vladimir Putin 's vision of resurgent Russia. 'What the state is trying to do to create a culture in which everyday life is militarised,' Dr Colin Alexander, senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University, told The Telegraph. 'It is normalising the idea that to be a good citizen, a good patriot, a good man, you go and fight in the war, because Russia is surrounded by enemies.' With dramatic cover art depicting storming soldiers, tanks ablaze, and Russian flags flying high, these novels would seem straight from a Soviet propaganda playbook, but they are packaged for a modern and digital generation. White Z on the Front Armour by Mikhail Mikheev (left), Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk (right) One such novel, Colonel Nobody by Alexei Sukonkin, follows a down-and-out young man who finds purpose and redemption by joining the Wagner mercenary group after prison. He discovers camaraderie in battle and ultimately sacrifices his life for 'the cause'. The message appears clear - if you're lost or disenfranchised, war will make you whole. 'There is often a sense of brotherhood, that you can turn into a good citizen, a good patriot, a strong man, a man who can provide for his family, a man who defends the country and the community,' said Dr Garner, an expert on totalitarian media. And the reach is vast. These books are discussed on state TV, handed out in schools, and even shared online by the late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin before his death in 2023. Another standout title, White Z on the Front Armour by Mikhail Mikheev, reads like a spy thriller where a brutal Russian agent posing a liberal journalist cuts a bloody path through Ukraine. He travels across the country, killing evil characters and delivering one-liners including: 'You wanted Crimea, pigface?' In Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk, the action reaches surreal heights as a lone Russian commando defeats an army of Nazis in Crimea before capturing the Capitol Building in Washington DC. And in PMC Chersonesus, a bizarre blend of mythology and military fiction by Andrei Belyanin, a trio of Russian heroes styled on Greek gods travel back in time to retrieve artefacts stolen from Crimea - including Scythian gold, a direct reference to real-life cultural treasures awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts. The villains are zombie Nazis. 'The underlying narrative is always that Russia as a state, as a country, has been wrong in the past, and through these heroes, we can rectify Russia's greatness and its destiny,' said Jaroslava Barbieri, a doctoral researcher into Russian foreign policy and post-Soviet affairs at the University of Birmingham. This sinister genre is just one cog in a much larger system - patriotic education programmes, youth military clubs, and pro-war content flooding social media. Experts warn this ecosystem is shaping a generation primed for conflict, not peace. 'Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers. The Kremlin isn't trying to appease aggression – it's cultivating it,' Barbieri said. And the consequences could be far-reaching. According to Dr Garner, this militarised mindset could make any future efforts to liberalise Russia all but impossible.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Russian novels brainwashing teens into enlisting
A new sinister genre of nationalistic fantasy fiction is on the rise in Russia, targeting the country's most impressionable demographic. Teenagers and young men are being pulled into patriotic fervour by 'Z literature', which delivers a simple message: Enlist, fight, and glorify the Russian state. The books, a reference to the 'Z' symbol used to promote the invasion of Ukraine, have echoes of the heavy-handed propaganda of the Soviet Union. 'What the state is trying to do to create a culture in which everyday life is militarised,' Dr Colin Alexander, senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University, told The Telegraph. 'It is normalising the idea that to be a good citizen, a good patriot, a good man, you go and fight in the war, because Russia is surrounded by enemies.' 'Z literature' books have illustrated covers showing soldiers mid-charge, framed by firestorms, tanks and Russian flags. They purport a world where Russia is surrounded by enemies, its soldiers the only hope in the face of Nazis, with tales of brotherhood and glory in death as plot lines. The books are stocked in mainstream bookstores, discussed in Russian media, appear in schools, and have even been shared by the deceased Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. 'The environment, the culture, is just suffused with this material,' said Ian Garner, Assistant Professor of Totalitarian Studies at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw. 'Militarism becomes normalised. And for some young Russians, it becomes pretty much all they ever see.' In the Soviet era, posters and busts of figures like Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and heroic workers or soldiers were part of everyday life. Children were targeted with toys and figurines depicting Red Army soldiers or cosmonauts. Today, the focus is on shaping teenagers and young people with media, be it in paperback or online. According to Dr Alexander, 'Z literature' is targeted specifically at young men and teenagers who will soon be the focus of enlistment drives to boost Russia's presence in Ukraine. He added that the content especially appeals to those who might be disenfranchised and vulnerable to ideologies that promise strength, belonging and a sense of purpose. In the novel Colonel Nobody, by Alexei Sukonkin, a down-and-out young man changes his life for the better by joining the Wagner Group upon his release from prison, where he follows a redemption arc, finding a new sense of brotherhood and ultimately sacrificing his life for the cause. 'There is often a sense of brotherhood, that you can turn into a good citizen, a good patriot, a strong man, a man who can provide for his family, a man who defends the country and the community,' said Dr Garner. The books often carry the message that Russia is the only country fighting for a better world, and that it is completely alone in doing so. 'The message is very clear in these books: Russia is fated to be attacked by outside powers,' explained Dr Garner. Mikhail Mikheev's White Z on the Front Armour follows this theme, with a brutal Russian agent, posing as a liberal journalist, infiltrating Ukraine after the full-scale invasion. He travels across the country, killing evil characters and delivering one-liners like, 'You wanted Crimea, pigface?' 'The underlying narrative is always that Russia as a state, as a country, has been wrong in the past, and through these heroes, we can rectify Russia's greatness and its destiny,' said Jaroslava Barbieri, a doctoral researcher into Russian foreign policy and post-Soviet affairs at the University of Birmingham. The characters in 'Z literature' are often a mirror image of iconic heroes in Western action films. Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk reads like a fever-dream rewrite of the 1985 film Commando, where a lone Russian hero, in true Arnold Schwarzenegger style, kills the enemy by the dozen to emerge in glory. It depicts a world where everyone, including North Korea, has turned against Russia, who is fighting against Nazis in Crimea and ultimately ends the war by seizing the Capitol Building in Washington DC. In PMC Chersonesus, by Andrei Belyanin, a group of heroes join together to undertake a mission to return artefacts and museum treasures to Crimea. During the mission the trio - modelled upon the Greek gods Aphrodite, Heracles, and Dionysus - encounter evil figures and even zombie Nazis. The final mission involves stealing Scythian gold from the Netherlands, referencing real treasures awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts and never returned to Russian-occupied Crimea. 'The most extraordinary aspect of this sub-genre of science fiction is that we have these characters that travel back in time intending to rewrite history,' said Ms Barbieri, commenting on PMC Chersonesus. 'Imagine you've read about these artefacts, and then it will pop up somewhere in the news about cultural items that they claim are Russian. 'In this is a very subversive way, the sub-genre reinforces broader propaganda, disinformation narratives that will then be amplified through the media landscape.' The books are part of a larger propaganda ecosystem that includes patriotic education, youth military clubs, and pro-war digital content, all aimed at fostering support for the war in Ukraine. Experts warned that the long-term outcome could be detrimental to ever achieving peace with Russia, as the youth is trained to see violence as the answer to conflict. 'It means that Russia can't be liberalised. It can't be democratised overnight,' said Dr Garner. Ms Barbieri added: 'Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers. The Kremlin isn't trying to appease aggression - it's cultivating it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Russian novels brainwashing teens into enlisting
A new sinister genre of nationalistic fantasy fiction is on the rise in Russia, targeting the country's most impressionable demographic. Teenagers and young men are being pulled into patriotic fervour by 'Z literature', which delivers a simple message: enlist, fight, and glorify the Russian state. The books, a reference to the 'Z' symbol used to promote the invasion of Ukraine, have echoes of the heavy handed propaganda of the Soviet Union. 'What the state is trying to do to create a culture in which everyday life is militarised,' Dr Colin Alexander, senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University, told The Telegraph. 'It is normalising the idea that to be a good citizen, a good patriot, a good man, you go and fight in the war, because Russia is surrounded by enemies.' Z literature books have illustrated covers showing soldiers mid-charge, framed by firestorms, tanks and Russian flags. They purport a world where Russia is surrounded by enemies, its soldiers the only hope in the face of Nazis, with tales of brotherhood and glory in death as plot lines. The books are stocked in mainstream bookstores, discussed in Russian media, appear in schools and have even been shared by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the deceased Wagner leader. 'The environment, the culture, is just suffused with this material,' said Ian Garner, assistant professor of totalitarian studies at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw. 'Militarism becomes normalised. And for some young Russians it becomes pretty much all they ever see.' In the Soviet era, posters and busts of figures such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and heroic workers or soldiers were part of everyday life. Children were targeted with toys and figurines depicting Red Army soldiers or cosmonauts. Today, the focus is on shaping teenagers and young people with media, be it in paperback or online. According to Dr Alexander, Z literature is targeted specifically at young men and teenagers who will soon be the focus of enlistment drives to boost Russia's presence in Ukraine. He added that the content especially appeals to those who might be disenfranchised and vulnerable to ideologies that promise strength, belonging and a sense of purpose. In the novel Colonel Nobody, by Alexei Sukonkin, a down-and-out young man changes his life for the better by joining the Wagner Group upon his release from prison where he follows a redemption arc, finding a new sense of brotherhood and ultimately sacrificing his life for the cause. 'There is often a sense of brotherhood, that you can turn into a good citizen, a good patriot, a strong man, a man who can provide for his family, a man who defends the country and the community,' said Dr Garner. The books often carry the message that Russia is the only country fighting for a better world and that it is completely alone in doing so. 'The message is very clear in these books: Russia is fated to be attacked by outside powers,' said Dr Garner. Mikhail Mikheev's White Z on the Front Armour follows this theme, with a brutal Russian agent, posing as a liberal journalist, infiltrating Ukraine after the full-scale invasion. He travels across the country, killing evil characters and delivering one-liners including: 'You wanted Crimea, pigface?' 'The underlying narrative is always that Russia as a state, as a country, has been wrong in the past, and through these heroes, we can rectify Russia's greatness and its destiny,' said Jaroslava Barbieri, a doctoral researcher into Russian foreign policy and post-Soviet affairs at the University of Birmingham. The characters in are often a mirror image of iconic heroes in Western action films. Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk reads like a fever-dream rewrite of the 1985 film Commando, where a lone Russian hero, in true Arnold Schwarzenegger style, kills the enemy by the dozen to emerge in glory. It depicts a world where everyone, including North Korea, has turned against Russia, which is fighting against Nazis in Crimea and ultimately ends the war by seizing the Capitol Building in Washington DC. In PMC Chersonesus by Andrei Belyanin, a group of heroes undertake a mission to return artefacts and museum treasures to Crimea. The trio, modelled upon Greek gods Aphrodite, Heracles, and Dionysus, encounter evil figures and even zombie Nazis. The final mission involves stealing Scythian gold from the Netherlands, referencing real treasures awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts and never returned to Russian-occupied Crimea. 'The most extraordinary aspect of this sub-genre of science fiction is that we have these characters that travel back in time intending to rewrite history,' said Ms Barbieri, commenting on PMC Chersonesus. 'Imagine you've read about these artefacts, and then it will pop up somewhere in the news about cultural items that they claim are Russian. 'In this very subversive way, the sub-genre reinforces broader propaganda, disinformation narratives that will then be amplified through the media landscape.' The books are part of a larger propaganda ecosystem that includes patriotic education, youth military clubs and pro-war digital content, all aimed at fostering support for the war in Ukraine. Experts warned that the long-term outcome could be detrimental to ever achieving peace with Russia, as young people are trained to see violence as the answer to conflict. 'It means that Russia can't be liberalised. It can't be democratised overnight,' said Dr Garner. Ms Barbieri added: 'Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers. The Kremlin isn't trying to appease aggression – it's cultivating it.'
