How the Russian series The Boy's Word made Ukrainians forget about the war and why they shouldn't watch it

In early November, the terrorist country Russia released another crime series, The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt (Slovo patsana. Krov na asfalte), about gang warfare in the 90s, romanticizing robbery, clashes with law enforcement, and crime. It was expected to find a response in Russia, but, to the surprise of many, Ukrainians also joined the project's fans.

They are massively promoting the series of the enemy country in their recommendations, making videos about Ukraine's criminal past, and brazenly defending the "right" to watch Russian projects. This is especially evident in the comments to various videos of reproach on TikTok.

It seems that society is divided into several camps: those who were lucky enough not to have heard of the Russian series, fans of it, and Ukrainians who don't understand how one can admire such aesthetics in the context of a full-scale war. But first things first.

What this trendsetting series about teenagers is about?

In short, it takes place in the late 1980s in Kazan. The main character is a 14-year-old boy named Andrey or "Palto" (Coat) who joins one of the youth street gangs.

The story is about "friendship, trust, street life," clashes with the police, and even murder. Characters with nicknames like "Yeralash", "Adidas", "Turbo" and others try to recreate the criminal and gloomy atmosphere of the USSR in those years.

Why it is harmful for Ukraine?

The series was released in two Russian online cinemas, the names of which we will not disclose to avoid PR. All you need to know is that you have to pay to watch Slovo Patsana on these sites, and the episodes on pirated resources and Telegram appeared only because someone paid for them and leaked them online.

Supporting content on resources that seem "safe" to many people only encourages more people to pay to watch the project in rubles, which they will later spend on armed aggression against Ukraine.

However, the financial component is not the only reason to avoid this series. The project, soundtracks and videos on the theme of "Russian aesthetics of the 90s" have become so popular online that they are somehow spotted by foreigners.

By popularizing The Boy's Word, watching it, leaving comments and likes on videos dedicated to the series, Ukrainians are promoting Russian content to the masses. This is the goal of propagandists.

Russia regularly tries to shift the focus of foreigners' attention from the war to its "rich" culture, so Ukrainians are fighting hard to prevent Russia from being allowed to participate in film festivals, exhibitions, awards, fashion shows, etc. Watching Russian-made movies and TV shows, let alone admiring them, does not help.

Worst of all, some Ukrainians try to look for the personification of themselves, their parents, and other relatives who lived before the declaration of independence in a trendy series. Videos with questions and answers are gaining popularity online, asking whether there were similar gangs in Ukraine.

If we look at it globally, users watching these videos can feel a certain kinship and association with Russians, while Ukraine is defending its own culture, history, and identity with blood.

Ukrainians have forgotten about the war and are defending their "right" to watch the Russian series

As we wrote above, some people categorically condemn their fellow citizens for popularizing Russian art, which is why they face outrageous comments.

Many people claim that there are no such projects in Ukraine. Others claim that their patriotism is "over," and a number of posts were devoted to the "right" to watch what they want.

Sadly, even the remark that the soldiers on the front line are giving their lives so that Ukrainians can cherish and create their own does not convince such commentators.

"Let them make a quality product in Ukraine", "Why can't people watch what they like?", "Manipulation", "I don't care", "Very good series", "I watch with pleasure", "Very cool series," the comments under various videos say.

I would like to assume that most of them were written by bots, but some videos of Ukrainians dedicated to the series indicate that it is popular among the people of the state at war with Russia.

According to Google trends, more than 20,000 users in Ukraine searched for Slovo Patsana over the past day.

It can be concluded that watching and interacting with the videos involved in the series only helps the Russians in the genocide of Ukrainians.

It is not only about financial support for Russian filmmakers who will use these funds to create propaganda. Russia is also actively promoting its so-called "aesthetics" and culture on the global market, which contributes to the interest of foreigners in Russian culture.

In addition, the popularization of the terrorist country's content makes Ukrainians forget about the important things: their own film products, joint struggle against the enemy, respect for the military and each other.

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