‘Putin kh**lo’, ‘Glory to Ukraine’: Protests against Russian President in the heart of Moscow
Dozens of Muscovites took part in a protest rally in Red Square on July, 6. The participants were singing Ukrainian football fans’ song about Vladimir Putin which has become known throughout the world due to videos on Youtube.
{movie}Protests against Putin in the centre of Moscow.|right|17318{/movie}
The protestors were holding placards bearing inscriptions ‘Free political prisoners’ and chanting: ‘Down with the chekists’ rule!’ The police cracked broke up the unsanctioned rally, seized the placards and pulled some activists into a prison truck. The detainees kept singing Ukraine’s anthem and shouting: ‘Free political prisoners!’ and ‘Down with usurper Putler!’ [Putler is a mix of ‘Putin’ and ‘Hitler’]
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As the conflict in eastern Ukraine has deepened in recent months, the chant of ‘Putin Khuylo’ originally used by football fans has become ever more popular among Ukrainians who blame Russia for stoking discontent in the east. Khuylo is a Russian swearword that approximately translates as ‘di**head’. It is also addressed to an amoral person who easily deceive and betray others.
{movie}Footbal fans in Kharkiv, Ukraine sing an abusive song about Russia’s Putin.|right|17319{/movie}
Even Ukraine’s former foreign minister Andriy Deshchytsia became embroiled in an unusual diplomatic row because of the abusive nickname: trying to appease an angry crowd near the Russian embassy in Kyiv on Saturday evening, Mr Deshchytsia said that he also regarded Mr Putin as a ‘khuylo’. These words resulted his dismissal.
