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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Charlotte Higgins Chief culture writer

‘I too was an orangutan in a zoo’: Russia’s bizarre propaganda in Ukraine

Kherson Russia Ukraine United States Suspilne Victoria Amelina Google Street View
A TV tower destroyed by Russian troops in Kherson, pictured after the city was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November.
A TV tower destroyed by Russian troops in Kherson, pictured after the city was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November. Photograph: Reuters

As morning broke over the Ukrainian city of Kherson last summer, those fumbling for their radios at 7am might have heard a Russian presenter greeting the day with his surreal imitation of a motivational video.

“As Lenin said: ‘In work we are forged.’ I too was an orangutan in a zoo, but when I started working hard I bought a car, built myself a villa in Crimea and even raised my IQ. Work as hard all day and you’ll be like me.”

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