vatnik
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vatnik
- /ˈvætnɪk/
- /ˈvɑtnɪk/
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Russian ва́тник (vátnik, literally “quilted jacket”). The sense of "unintelligent Russian patriot" was derived from the jackets worn by Soviet citizens and an online cartoon about a sentient jacket known by the same name.
The term was popularized in Russia in 2011 and re-popularized at large in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine to refer to supporters of the invasion, especially online users, even if they are not from Russia. Reflecting usage in Ukrainian and Russian, the term was later extended to refer to Russian soldiers who were involved in war against Ukraine.
noun vatniks · vatniki · vatnyk
- A Russian style of quilted jacket. Two models each for men and women are featured at prices ranging from 100 to 140 rubles, more than the cost of a 'vatnik.' (The ruble is nominally valued at four to $1.)
- An unintelligent Russian patriot. Vatnik, originally a name of a warm cotton-padded Russian jacket that is still used sometimes in rural areas, has a broad meaning of all people with imperial Russian ideology.
- A supporter of Vladimir Putin, Russian nationalism, or the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022; a Putinist.
-
A soldier in the Russian armed forces involved in the invasion of Ukraine.
Similar: orc
Translations
Talk about this word "vatnik." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/vatnik. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. vatnik. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/vatnik "vatnik." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/vatnik.Cite this
@misc{vatnik_2026,
title = {vatnik},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/vatnik},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
