Neologism comparing Vladimir Putin with Adolf Hitler
Putler (
Russian: Путлер), sometimes extended to Vladolf Putler[1] (Владольф Путлер[2][3]), is a derogatory
neologism and
portmanteau formed by merging the names of
Vladimir Putin and
Adolf Hitler.[4][5][6] Often used in the slogan "Putler Kaput!" (
German: Putler kaputt!;
Russian: Путлер Капут!, literally, "Putler broken!") by people opposed to Putin,[7][8] the term has a negative connotation.[7]
Origin of the word
Look up Putler in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
According to Russian linguist
Boris Sharifullin [
ru], the word 'Putler' was coined in Russia.[9] According to French historian
Marlène Laruelle, the word was coined by the Ukrainian press.[10]
Use of the word
The word "Putler" became common among the opposition in
Russia and in
Ukraine.[11] The use of the German-sounding slogan Putler Kaputt by
Russians represents a change of language as a special play position, thus creating the effect that these words are being used by a foreign observer, while still using words that are understandable for Russians.[12]
Domestic Russian protest movement
The slogan attracted fame—and legal problems in Russia in 2009. A participant at a rally organized by the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation on 31 January 2009 in
Vladivostok carried a placard reading "Putler kaput!" The rally was directed against new customs duties on the import of used cars. The Vladivostok
prosecutor's office [
Wikidata] issued a warning to the regional committee of the party regarding this placard.[13][14] The regional committee reacted by publishing the following text on its website:[7][15]
The author of this slogan had in mind a specific person engaged in the auto business by the name of Putler, who came to an end due to the increase in duties on foreign cars: due to this circumstance, he lost his job, and hence the income with which he supported his large family. He, like thousands of other residents of the region, intends to leave Primorye, where it is simply impossible to live and work.
In April 2009, the slogan was officially banned.[16] According to the Primorsky Laboratory of Forensic Expertise of the
Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, the slogan has "a pronounced emotional assessment of the personality or activities of
Putin V.V. as a representative of state power and is offensive in nature."[15]
The popularity of this
pejorative increased in 2014. It was nominated for the "Word of the Year 2014" competition[19] after the
annexation of Crimea by Russia, which some politicians, publicists and journalists compared with the
Anschluss of Austria in 1938, after which
Nazi Germany unleashed the
Second World War.[4][14][20]The Washington Post cited a number of such statements and published photographs of
Ukrainian protesters holding posters with the text "Putler — hands off Ukraine" and "Putler Kaput!" and caricatured drawings connecting the recognizable facial features of
Vladimir Putin and
Adolf Hitler.[20] Several
Russian linguists regarded this publication as deliberately shaping a negative image of Putin among readers.[4][21][a]
According to journalist Rodger Jones, the "Putler" reference was "prominent" during the protests in 2014 in front of the Russian embassy in
Washington.[23]
In July 2014, after the appearance of photos from the
FIFA World Cup, where Vladimir Putin and
German сhancellorAngela Merkel were sitting next to each other, watching its final match, comments appeared on this photo on social networks, which read "Thank you, Mrs. Putler" (
German: Danke, Frau Putler). According to The Guardian, the authors of these comments were Ukrainians who were dissatisfied with the position taken by the сhancellor regarding the
Russo-Ukrainian War.[24]
The word "Putler" has frequently been used in academic and journalistic works when comparing insulting language used against Russians and Ukrainians. The word is generally used in combination with negative verbs, such as "attack" and "shits".[25]
^The phrase that forms the attitude towards Putin was, in particular, the saying "They call it 'Putler'. And yes, it looks a little creepy", in which the word "creepy" is intended to increase the reader's emotional response