What does a cockroach, a rat and a moth have in common?
They have all been instrumental in caricaturing Vladimir Putin in cartoons.
This is one of many fascinating facts about the genre of cartoons I came to know at the virtual exhibit, 'Say No to War: Political Cartoons by Ukrainian and Russian Artists.’ The exhibit was organized by Andrey Feldshteyn and Maria Zarialova at the Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) in Minneapolis, MN, on February 6, 2024. It was enlightening to learn how political cartoons communicate not so much with words but with cultural references and codes from leaders. Perhaps, this is the case the world over, but I have taken references for granted when I am looking at cartoons from my parts of the world — so the guided tour opened up a world of information from a region I love, but can claim to understand only as an “innostranka.”
Through humor and/or poignancy in art, cartoonists such as Dmitry Skazhenik, Oleh Smal, Oleksiy Kustovsky, Sergey Sychenko strongly criticize Russian aggression, advocate for the Ukrainian people, and prompt us to reflect on the changing cultural landscape of Russia. It is not just that they are clever — it is more striking that these artists rely on their viewers’ insights to understand and interpret shared cultural knowledge that they have imbibed via books, films, icons, phrases, folklore, artifacts, historic and current events.
Yuriy Pogorelov, born in Kyiv in 1944, illustrated a cockroach with Putin’s face in a cartoon that was based on a well-known poem about a cockroach threatening the animal kingdom. Here is Maria Zarialova explaining the symbolism:
In the poem, a cockroach comes to the animal kingdom and says, ‘now I’m going to be your king and bring me your children, I’m going to eat them and oppress you’ — until [the cockroach] is eaten by a sparrow. [The poem] came to be considered an allegory about Josef Stalin (the cockroach) and Nikita Khrushchev (the sparrow — often depicted, ironically, in a Ukrainian shirt). The updated parable has Putin as the cockroach. Whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ultimately the sparrow remains to be seen.
— Maria Zarialova, Curator, TMORA, as reported here.
For a striking illustration about a family of war refugees, Vadim Siminoga, from Kherson, invoked that much-heard folk tale about the giant turnip that grandpa struggled to pull out of the ground. The turnip was so large and heavy that grandpa needed grandma’s help. Grandma tried but decided that it is best for their granddaughter to join forces too. The granddaughter thought they would be better off with the dog’s efforts too. Despite the dog linking itself to the human chain, they still couldn’t budge the turnip. So the dog asked the cat to help. The cat’s contribution to the team too wasn’t adequate and so the cat summoned the mouse, at which point the giant turnip was loosened from the earth. The family was able to lift it out of the ground and carry it into the kitchen to make their turnip soup. The moral of the original story? Every small effort matters; no effort is wasted. This story has been retold in many languages of eastern Europe and it exists in many versions. The current version under Siminoga’s creation depicts the family, from grandpa to mouse, carrying the giant turnip as they wearily leave a war-torn area with whatever belongings they can carry.
Victor Holub, from Ukraine, and Denis Lopatin, from Belarus, have both depicted Putin as a rat. It is thought that the origin of this representation began with the words of Putin in a 2018 documentary: “Everyone should keep it in mind — don’t drive anyone into the corner.”
The lives of satirists, comedians and cartoonists in Russia can get so dangerous, of course, that several submit their work anonymously or while in exile. Sergey Elkin is one such cartoonist who has been designated as a foreign agent by Putin’s regime. Thankfully, Elkin has left Russia. But there are others unable to exercise their freedom of thought inside Russia.
Finally, what’s with the moth connection? Turns out, Putin’s nickname while at KGB was ‘pale moth.’ But moths cause terrible havoc in a cold country like Russia where people rely on woolen clothes to keep warm. Moths destroy wool. Hence, the utter despise.
TMORA has taken a strong stance against the Russian war against Ukraine. The ‘Say No to War’ exhibit is one of the ways in which they communicate their stance. And another way? By displaying a huge Ukrainian flag on the outside walls of the museum.
Every effort matters; no effort is wasted.