NAPOLEON IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF RUSSIAN HUMOR

Russians have an astounding sense of humor. In tough times it has proved to be our life immunity.

How exactly Nikolai Vasilyevtich Gogol put it: ’Russian people are witted and resourceful! If somebody gets rewarded a nickname, then follows it him like heir into generations to come, haunts him into his office and retirement, both in Petersburg and at the edge of the world. Whatever then be his attempts to try and shake it off or get it ennobled, even trying to get the writing scripters there remove it for pay from the ancestor race — nothing is of help: caws the nickname for itself like a crow at its utmost and tells precisely where the birdy is from. Pronounced as if at blank point, like in writing, it can’t be got rid of.  And especially precise and clear is all that comes from the nation’s deep with no outsider tribes, let it be German or elsewhere, the Russian live and expressive wit, like a nugget itself never being at a loss to pick the proper word with no time wasted like a hen sitting on eggs but sticks it at once and for ages, like a name into the identity pass leaving nothing to be added later on detailing over your nose or lips – with the only trait you get pictured from head to toe!’

Many high-flier celebs of the world history have got struck by the lightning bolt of Russian humour. But Napoleon was most likely to get it full.

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