What does “Keep Calm” mean in Russian? “Calm, let’s break through!”

When buying clothes or a bag with a foreign inscription, it’s harmless to ask how it is translated, at least in order not to be subjected to caustic ridicule by more linguistically enlightened fellow citizens. What if something obscene is written there or does not correspond to the convictions of the one who flattered the beautiful bright font and colorful background?

For example, what does “Keep Calm And Carry On” mean - a phrase that can often be seen on the chest or back of some fans of foreign fashion? It’s not enough to know English to find out. It should also be briefly immersed in the history of the XX century.

In 1939, it so happened that the only real force opposing German Nazism was Great Britain. There were doubts from time to time that this confrontation would end successfully, despite the fact that this country was huge at that time, the largest in the world. This situation continued until Hitler attacked the USSR.

Colonies over which, in a poetic style, the sun never set, were sometimes tens of thousands of miles distant from the mother country. The islands were vulnerable, which the German fleet took advantage of, blocking trade routes. Tragic news came daily that another vessel, or even several ships, had sunk, struck by German torpedoes or bombs.

An echo of the events of those years was the motto popular today, massively replicated on tea cups, T-shirts, sports bags and other household items. What does “Keep Calm And Carry On” mean in English?

If translated literally, then, as in most such cases, the meaning will be conveyed incompletely. Just a call to keep calm and hold on. Nothing, the Russian language is expressive enough to convey the expressive context of this motto no less concisely.

Probably, in order to understand what “Keep Calm” means, we can recall how we ourselves sometimes say “calmly, break through!”. Perhaps this expression would be a semantic translation of the old English motto.

Only sometimes we get excited and say such words, saturating them with temperament, and sometimes adding a couple of Russian folk idioms, and the inhabitants of Albion will say this calmly, observing calm and self-esteem. For them, it’s clear what “Keep Calm” means. Do your job, fear nothing, steadfastly overcome all difficulties.

The history of the poster, which became the prototype of modern replicas, was already forgotten, and the number of surviving copies was insignificant by the year 2000. One of them was found by the grandson of the author of this propaganda masterpiece in a second-hand bookstore. He preferred not to divulge his surname, especially since the phrase itself is a common expression of the English language, like the Russian analogue given. Thus, the descendant of an unknown post-maker could not receive financial dividends, including due to the expiration of the copyright term. However, the motto itself became very popular with its submission, not only in Britain, but also in many other countries, whose citizens, when buying a bright T-shirt, do not always know how to keep Keep Calm translated.

What is the secret to the popularity of this old slogan? The war is long over, but each of the people living on our planet is constantly faced with situations that threaten disastrous consequences. Someone may lose their jobs, another dangerously ill, the third in the family is in trouble. It is important not to lose heart, keep calm and look for a way out of a difficult situation. And then his eyes will fall on a bright inscription, which at one time encouraged the British. “Keep Calm”, which means “Nothing, break through!” It didn’t happen like that either. ”