# No Russian In the fourth mission of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released November 10, 2009, Russian ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov tells his crew "Remember, no Russian" before a playable Moscow airport massacre meant to be blamed on the United States. The scene drew immediate press backlash and triggered censored builds in Japan and Germany within days of launch. By 2018 and 2019, the catchphrase lived on as a Reddit snowclone, with image macros on /r/MW2 and /r/fakehistoryporn swapping Makarov's gunmen for SpongeBob SquarePants and Donald Trump. ## Origin Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 shipped on November 10, 2009 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3[1]. Its fourth mission, titled "No Russian," drops the player undercover alongside Vladimir Makarov's cell of Russian ultranationalists, with Makarov delivering the title line inside a locked elevator before the group steps out and opens fire on civilians queued at Moscow airport security[1]. The attack is a false flag designed to drag the United States into war with Russia; the "no Russian" instruction tells his crew not to speak Russian during the massacre so investigators pin the slaughter on Americans[2]. The player goes in as Private Joseph Allen, a U.S. undercover operative embedded with Makarov's group[8]. Infinity Ward added a prompt to skip the level before it loads and a pacifist route through the massacre, though Makarov and the rest of the squad do the shooting regardless of whether the player fires a shot[8]. - **Platform:** Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (video game) / Reddit (meme spread) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2009 ## Overview "Remember, no Russian" works online as a snowclone where the structure "Remember, no [X]" slots a new taboo behavior into Vladimir Makarov's elevator-door warning to his crew[5]. Image macros place a screenshot of the gunmen in the elevator or on the airport corridor behind the altered subtitle, with a different cast of characters replacing Makarov's squad. Exploitable versions on Reddit cast Donald Trump briefing staffers, SpongeBob SquarePants gathering his crew, or any group shot where a leader addresses followers[6][7]. The tone sits between dark humor and absurdity: readers who recognize the source know the next step onscreen is a massacre, so attaching the line to a mundane target produces the shock-comedy effect that gives the format staying power. As a standalone catchphrase, the line also runs in gaming-forum shorthand for "don't give yourself away" or "stay in character," referencing Makarov's original instruction to his crew not to speak Russian during the attack so the massacre would be blamed on Americans[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is No Russian? "No Russian" is the fourth mission of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and the catchphrase "Remember, no Russian" that opens it, which later lived on as an internet snowclone[5]. ### Where did No Russian come from? The scene appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and released on November 10, 2009 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3[1]. ### What does No Russian mean? Inside the game, Vladimir Makarov is telling his gunmen not to speak Russian during the airport massacre so investigators blame the attack on Americans[2]. ### How do you use No Russian? Posters typically overlay the line "Remember, no [X]" onto a screenshot from the mission and replace Makarov's crew with a different cast, as with the SpongeBob SquarePants edit posted to /r/MW2 in October 2018[6]. ### Is No Russian still popular? Through 2019, the scene still worked as a reference point for gaming violence, as when YouTuber Drift0r told Comicbook the Modern Warfare reboot made it look like a Pixar film by comparison[8]. ### Why was No Russian controversial? The mission lets players take part in a terrorist attack on civilians queued at Moscow's airport, and CNN was warning parents about the scene within a day of release[1]. ### Was Modern Warfare 2 actually banned in Russia? No; VentureBeat reported a Russian ban on November 16, 2009, but Activision and The Escapist shot the story down within days, with the Russian retail release instead dropping the mission[3][4]. ### How was the mission censored in Japan? Square Enix rewrote Makarov's line to "Kill 'em, the Russians" and set the Japanese build to trigger an instant game over if the player shot a civilian[2]. ### Can players skip No Russian? Yes; Infinity Ward added a prompt to skip the level before it loads and allows a pacifist walk-through, though Makarov and his gunmen do the shooting regardless[8]. ### Who created the first No Russian meme? The earliest widely cited image macro referenced on Know Your Meme is a SpongeBob SquarePants edit posted to /r/MW2 by Redditor KooloEdits on October 24, 2018[6]. ### Which character says "Remember, no Russian"? Vladimir Makarov, the Russian ultranationalist leader whose cell the player infiltrates during the mission[1]. ### What did Drift0r say about the Modern Warfare reboot? In June 2019, Drift0r told Comicbook that the reboot's violence would make "No Russian" look like a Pixar film by comparison[8]. ## References 1. [https://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/11/wired.modern.warfare.xbox.360/index.html]() 2. [https://kotaku.com/modern-warfare-2-censored-in-japan-5422287]() 3. [https://venturebeat.com/2009/11/16/modern-warfare-2-banned-in-russia-due-to-civilian-massacre-scene/]() 4. [https://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96173-Modern-Warfare-2-Not-Banned-in-Russia-Says-Activision]() 5. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/no-russian-remember-no-russian]() 6. [https://www.reddit.com/r/CallOfDuty/comments/9ldy56/mw2_remember_no_russian/]() 7. [https://www.reddit.com/r/fakehistoryporn/comments/an1mhc/]() 8. [https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/06/03/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-ps4-xbox-pc-no-russian/]() 9. [https://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-it-time-for-games-to-get-serious/1100-6384304/]() 10. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7vBol8wud0]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/no-russian-remember-no-russian Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library