Russian army choir sings praises of unmarked troops in Crimea

The Russian army choir has released a song glorifying the troops in unmarked uniforms who took control of Crimea ahead of its annexation by Moscow — swiftly nicknamed “the polite people” for their silent demeanour.

The deep-voiced Alexandrov Ensemble, known internationally as the Red Army Choir, released “Polite People” on its official YouTube site accompanied by footage of the choir performing in Crimea this month.

The heavily armed soldiers who appeared in Crimea in late February and surrounded government buildings and army bases gained the nickname “the polite people” because they refused to identify themselves but posed for publicity shots with children and women pushing prams.

Those who opposed Russia’s actions in the strategic Black Sea peninsula on the other hand describe them as “little green men”.

President Vladimir Putin even used the term, saying his allies who came under Western sanctions over actions in Ukraine were “polite people.”

The choir’s song features lyrics praising the troops who “simply stand politely nearby, they simply carry guns,” set to the strumming of balalaikas.

The song reassures listeners with a rousing chorus: “The polite people will preserve the glory and honour of the fatherland.”

Putin insisted at the time that the unmarked troops in Crimea were members of local self-defence brigades and suggested they bought their uniforms at army surplus stores.

But there was never any real doubt that the men were highly professional Russian troops, as the song practically acknowledges.

Putin finally admitted last week that Russian soldiers were deployed on the peninsula before and during the March 16 referendum on its departure from Ukraine.

“Their helmets are polite, their faces are polite, even their steel vehicles are polite,” the lyrics run, against a picture of a soldier in helmet and black mask, carrying a machine gun.

The choir’s website says the song was first performed in Crimea on a tour from April 10-14.

The video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZzKAMvACj4

Russia has a strong tradition of choirs in its security forces and law enforcement authorities. The Russian police choir scored a cult hit with its cover of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, which it performed at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.