Orange is the new Z

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The letter Z has gained cultural prominence in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine as a symbol of war support.

But what why are some of the Z's colored orange and black?

The Orange and Black stripes go back to time of Catherine the Great and the "Order or St. George" which was awarded to soldiers who:

“Conduct[ed] military operations to protect the fatherland from an external enemy which resulted in the complete defeat of the enemy.”

The ribbon was used again during World War II when Joseph Stalin created the "Order of Glory" to recognize Soviet soldiers who had performed a heroic deed in battle.

There is enormous cultural cache to the Soviet-era Order or Glory. The soldiers invading Ukraine today grew up on the stories of their grandfather's heroic deeds.

This orange and black ribbon ties the false Russian belief that this operation today is as necessary as it was to fight the threat of the Nazis during World War Two.

Rights:

References:

An orange-black ribbon holds a clue to eastern Ukraine's chaos

The Christian Science Monitor

Pro-Putin politicians and influencers wear clothes bearing the letter 'Z' seen on Russian military vehicles to show support for invasion of Ukraine

Order of Glory:

The State Duma accepted the Crimea in the Russian Federation