Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, 48, has been the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2015, and on Thursday, she jumped the shark.
Zakharova posted on her Telegram channel:
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, commenting on the information about Israel’s murder of the head of the Hamas Politburo, said that he “would not be upset if it turns out to be true.”
Not surprised. The fact is that Rutte is the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. This country is known for its “liberal traditions.” So, in 1672, the Dutch killed their Prime Minister along with his brother Cornelis, and then… ate them. But, of course, not entirely. What did you think? This is Western civilization, so the crowd tasted the selected places, the body parts that were tastier. Then they were all pardoned. Cannibalism reflexes, as we can see, are still strong.
Bon Appetit, Mark, don’t choke.
OK, so far, it’s only a deranged message from a deranged woman who’s had too much vodka before the start of the weekend.
But you know me, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking: why would Zakharova focus specifically on this blood-curdling scene of Dutch cannibalism and not any other form of atrocity? What cannibalistic virus is lurking up the spine of this Putinesque blonde? Are there cases of Russian cannibalism?
Shmuel has taught us (Kidushin 70b): He who finds fault in others finds only faults that he shares.
Without further ado, let’s examine …
RUSSIAN CANNIBALISM
The famine of 1921-22
The Russian famine of 1921–1922 was the result of the Communist Party’s attempt to streamline the country’s agriculture. The famine killed an estimated five million people and primarily affected the Volga and Ural River regions. Many of the starving peasants resorted to cannibalism. There were also outbreaks of cholera and typhus.
Everyone in Russia knows about the cannibalism of the great famine of 1921-22.
But wait, there’s a lot more.
Cannibal Island
Each year, a small contingent of Russian peasants embarks on a journey of 550 kilometers northwest from Siberia to Nazinsky Island, situated in the heart of the Ob River, to lay a wreath at the base of a wooden cross. In May 1933, a flotilla of lumber barges arrived at Nazinsky Island, disembarking approximately 3,000 “settlers” tasked with establishing a “special settlement,” which represented their isolated segment of Stalin’s Gulag. However, lacking tools, shelter, and food, and facing armed guards who shot anyone attempting to cross the frigid river, the prisoners soon succumbed to starvation, disease, violence, and the harsh elements.
Abundant incidents of cannibalism were reported, so many, that the locals came to call it Cannibal Island or the Island of Death.
Have your neighbor with borscht
Cannibalism is increasingly emerging as a disturbing trend in the former Soviet Union. In 1996, ten individuals faced charges for the murder and consumption of other human beings. Law enforcement officials estimate that a minimum of 30 individuals were consumed that year.
Media reports throughout the former Soviet Union have highlighted incidents involving vagrants being devoured or their remains being dismembered and sold to unsuspecting individuals. Authorities have received reports indicating that human flesh is being sold in street markets, and there are instances of homeless individuals killing one another to sell the meat. Each month, authorities discover corpses with missing limbs.
Putin’s Cannibals
Finally, on November 24, 2023, Politico reported (Putin sends cannibals to fight in Ukraine) that, continuing the practices established by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, the Kremlin has been enlisting various convicted criminals as soldiers. Those who participate in the conflict against Ukraine are subsequently granted pardons and designated as “Heroes of the Special Military Operation.”
Recently, two individuals convicted of murder, who were known to have consumed the flesh of their victims, have been added to this group of heroes. Reports from multiple Russian media sources indicate that these individuals were pardoned and released by Russian authorities.
Like you said, Comrade Zakharova, Bon Appetit.
