страна 404

Russian

Etymology

From Russian страна́ (straná, “country”) and оши́бка 404 (ošíbka 404, “error 404, an online error”) (страна́ четы́реста четы́ре), suggesting claims about Ukraine as an illegitimate state. Later repurposed by Ukrainian netizens.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [strɐˈna t͡ɕɪˈtɨrʲɪstə t͡ɕɪˈtɨrʲe]
Audio: (file)

Noun

страна́⁴⁰⁴ • (straná⁴⁰⁴) f inan (genitive страны́⁴⁰⁴, nominative plural страны́⁴⁰⁴, genitive plural стран⁴⁰⁴) (politics, Internet slang, derogatory, offensive)

Ukraine.
(Ukraine) Russia.

Usage notes

Mainly used by Russian nationalists, referencing expansionist claims about the whole of Ukraine as Russian territory, and perceived illegitimacy of the country or its government after the ousting of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych during the Euromaidan protests of 2014.
Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some Ukrainians have used it back towards Russia, referencing international sanctions against and criminal investigations of Russia and the international arrest warrant for its president. (Compare Ukrainian краї́на 404 (krajína 404).)

Synonyms

Terms referring to Ukraine:

Малоросси́я (Malorossíja, “Little Russia”) (historical term)
Незале́жная (Nezaléžnaja, “independent”)
Хохля́ндия (Xoxljándija, “khokhol land”)
Хохлоста́н (Xoxlostán, “khokhol land”)
Уха́нь (Uxánʹ, “Wuhan”)
Цеевро́па (Cejevrópa, “it is Europe-land”)
Щеневме́рла (Ščenevmérla, “the-land-is-not-dead”) (mocking the first words of Ukraine's anthem)
Бандеростан (Banderostan, “land of Stepan Bandera, referring to a Ukrainian nationalist militant”)
Салоре́йх (Saloréjx, “lard Reich”)
Свиноре́йх (Svinoréjx, “pig Reich, from a stereotypical depiction of Ukrainian farmers or the usage of salo lard in cuisine”)
Укроре́йх (Ukroréjx, “Ukrainian Reich”)
Уркаи́на (Urkaína, “Ukraine as a country of criminals”)

For more examples, see Thesaurus:Украина

Terms referring to Russia:

Ра́ша (Ráša)
Рои́сся (Roíssja)
Мо́рдор (Mórdor)
Моско́вия (Moskóvija)