Russian propagandists turn on pro-Western “traitors”

THE E-MAILZ was anonymous and written entirely in capitals. “TRAITORS!!! SHUT UP!! SHUT YOUR UGLY MOUTHS WITH YOUR LETTERS, YOU PACFICISTS!!! BITCHES, PROSTITUTES, BASTARDS. DON’T DIRTY RUSSIA WITH YOUR PRESENCE, NOBODY IS KEEPING YOU HERE!!!” It was part of the barrage of hate mail sent to Marina Davydova, one of Russia’s best-known theatre critics and the organiser of a prominent festival, who on the day that Russia attacked Ukraine published an open letter against the war.Then on March 4th Ms Davydova found a giant painted on the door of her flat in Moscow. On the same day, the same letter appeared on the door of Anton Dolin, a film critic who had also published a statement decrying the war. The symbol, which initially served as an identifying mark on invading Russian tanks and has been seized on by Russia’s propagandists, now stands for Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Mr Dolin and his family were on their way to the train station to leave Russia when they saw the sign. “I felt disgusted, as though I’d stepped in a pile of shit,” he said.