Russian kit yay or nay ?

[Druid799]

Simple question , in the light of what’s going on as we speak do you think it is or it’s not acceptable to wear obviously Russian kit on game days now ?  
Me personally I say no you shouldn’t wear it , yes you may have spent an awful lot of money on your load out but you’d have to be one seriously insensitive person to turn up at a gameday wearing your digi flora or gorka 3 kit when the people who wear it for real are currently invading a democratic country simply because the dictator in charge of their motherland wants to put the clocks back 40yrs . 
Please discuss .

 

[Stratton Oakmont]

You’re only the bad guy if you’re on the other side. 
 

 

[Jacob Wright]

To play devils advocate, is it any different to WW2 German/Axis forces kit, any sort of Opfor loadout that is based upon a real force?

Personally, I’d hold off wearing it for now as the events are happening. Maybe in a few months?

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I think it's right to show some sensitivity at this time.
However, if the only kit I had was Russian, I'd still wear it.  But I'd understand if I got some comments or looks - and be prepared to explain / have a thick skin about it.

You’re only the bad guy if you’re on the other side. 
 

Unfortunately there's definitely a bad guy at the moment

 

[Rogerborg]

It's an acute situation, but there are few real world LARPs that don't have the potential to result in offence being taken by someone who identifies strongly with the other side.  We live in a multi-cultural society, and not every UK resident views UK forces as the "goodies".

But for a multi-cultural society to work, we need to live in this society, not import identities and conflicts from other places or other times.

That said, restraint goes both ways, and it would be a dick move to flex about your Spetsnaz costume right now.

Since I don't identify as a Russian conscript or a Ukrainian partisan (and couldn't recognise either at three paces), I have no Sukhoi in this fight. My only real interest is in not having anything kick off for real while I'm trying to enjoy my own LARP.  Shrugs, I guess, this too shall pass.

 

[Tackle]

While I see the concerns, I also have absolutely no misconceptions about what we do, we play dress up pew pew games, it's not real & generally only the hardcore snowflakes are likely to be offended by a loadout. 

Me personally, I know feck all about ruski loadouts, so other than those mental lids that some players are using, I wouldn't know the difference anyway. 

 

[Asomodai]

If the average airsofter can tell the difference between pre modern day Russian kit and what is in use to invade Ukraine now then I'd wear that.

But because I know the average airsofter wouldn't know the difference and that many modern Russian units still use kit from decades ago, I have chosen not to wear anything Russian at this time. 

 

[Lozart]

I'd say that right now, it's in fairly poor taste given the reasons why the Russians say they're in Ukraine. I don't see that it's in any way the same as rocking up in WW2 German kit though. That can be viewed through the lens of historical reenactment etc playing as Russians would only really be the same as wearing Nazi gear if you were LARPing in France while Germany was invading Poland.

 

[MAX DICKER]

If my kit was Russian,  I'd burn it right now. However, if I turned up to airsoft on Sunday and someone was wearing Russian gear, it wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't see it as them endorsing what bad Vlad is up to, rather it's an aesthetic choice.

Reagan was right when he called them the evil empire.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

i must admit, having used mainly russian gear mostly in the name of comfort (having never really gotten into the exact replicating a loadout thing) it's a tricky one. 

as has been mentioned a lot of loadouts can be interpreted offensively depending on the person viewing it, and it's generally accepted that it's just part of the game and often people's choice of loadout doesn't mean an affiliation with that nations politics.

but given the present circumstances it's probably best to avoid it if you can for the time being, presumably if you're a site regular then folk will probably for the most part understand if you show up in the same kit you always wear because that's what you have.

on the flip side, you could argue that no matter what you wear taking part in pewing whilst the ukrainians are having to deal with it for real has an element of disrespect, and perhaps, as someone mentioned in a status update, sending this weekends pewing fee's to the red cross or similar humanitarian organisations would be the right thing to do that this time.

 

[Stratton Oakmont]

Unfortunately there's definitely a bad guy at the moment

You’re just confirming my point 

indefensible actions from “our”point of view 

but history books are written by the victorious so I expect we will find out who was right in 10 years or more

i personally won’t be dressed as a Russian but then I run a galil (two countries of which who used it have questionable ideas about who is right and wrong and I offer no defence for them either, I just like galils)

 

[Skullchewer]

View attachment 86018

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

on the flip side, you could argue that no matter what you wear taking part in pewing whilst the ukrainians are having to deal with it for real has an element of disrespect, and perhaps, as someone mentioned in a status update, sending this weekends pewing fee's to the red cross or similar humanitarian organisations would be the right thing to do that this time.

Indeed, this occurred to me too.  I've salved my conscience by deciding to both pew, and donate.

Although like an absolute plankton, I managed to donate to the wrong Red Cross appeal (don't just google Red Cross Ukraine and click on the 'donate £20' link, like I did - that's for a UK appeal!  Only realised once I'd finished)

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwif55ab2pr2AhVCsO0KHaS5CUIYABABGgJkZw&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESWOD20PIflYLL7va-NGQ6E8IMX0a_NXg6ZK59fFJ1WFvIWNO5dUZvO0X1PMOLj2DWnqUmCfqjOo0vK1ct-E8XdJ3igTZnm12HEeYTQpNpnWxRe_Kxw1DN6QI&sig=AOD64_1323A7qVN1X4AASS-9W8Nk35M48A&ved=2ahUKEwiv4I2b2pr2AhXloFwKHZFJAtEQqyQoAHoECAIQBQ&adurl=https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwif55ab2pr2AhVCsO0KHaS5CUIYABABGgJkZw&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESWOD20PIflYLL7va-NGQ6E8IMX0a_NXg6ZK59fFJ1WFvIWNO5dUZvO0X1PMOLj2DWnqUmCfqjOo0vK1ct-E8XdJ3igTZnm12HEeYTQpNpnWxRe_Kxw1DN6QI&sig=AOD64_1323A7qVN1X4AASS-9W8Nk35M48A&ved=2ahUKEwiv4I2b2pr2AhXloFwKHZFJAtEQqyQoAHoECAIQBQ&adurl=https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal

 

[Druid799]

To play devils advocate, is it any different to WW2 German/Axis forces kit, any sort of Opfor loadout that is based upon a real force?

Personally, I’d hold off wearing it for now as the events are happening. Maybe in a few months?

Nah that really stretching it , there’s no one on the news at the moment wearing German kit invading another country is their ?

I’m not saying “YOU CAN NEVER WEAR IT AGAIN !” or anything like that what I’m saying is turning up to a gameday in an authentic Russian loadout at the moment is a rather crass thing to do , yes a lot will not know the difference between a Spetnaz and an Albanian goathearder commando but some will and word will get around and it could cause a negative vibe to appear . It’s all about perspective , no matter what you wear someone could be ‘offended’ by it but when one country has invaded another and it’s all over the news as we speak is it really necessary to wear the aggressors uniform for the next couple of mths ? 

You’re only the bad guy if you’re on the other side. 

Sorry but that’s just an academic cop out used by people who won’t actually commit to a side in an argument or discussion and as such a load of bollox to boot .

 

[Stratton Oakmont]

Sorry but that’s just an academic cop out used by people who won’t actually commit to a side in an argument or discussion and as such a load of bollox to boot .

No it’s not 

 

[EDcase]

Personally I won't have anything to do with Russia now or ever.

(I wouldn't dress up as a Nazi either)

 

[Tackle]

Personally I won't have anything to do with Russia now or ever.

(I wouldn't dress up as a Nazi either)

Me neither, never had the slightest interest in their kit. 

And thinking about it, yeah it'd be pretty shit for Airsoft in general if the press got hold of pics of players in Russian loadouts at the moment, you can imagine the spin they'd put on it. 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

You’re just confirming my point 

indefensible actions from “our”point of view 

but history books are written by the victorious so I expect we will find out who was right in 10 years or more

i personally won’t be dressed as a Russian but then I run a galil (two countries of which who used it have questionable ideas about who is right and wrong and I offer no defence for them either, I just like galils)

Unless we're all stumbling around a radioactive wasteland, in ten years time the history books will be divided like this

* Russia - We won against the rebels and protected our people blah blah blah
* Everyone else - Putin was c*nt and invaded an independent country

Victors writing their own history books will be in a minority of one.  And they'll be wrong.  

 

[Tackle]

* Everyone else - Putin was c*nt and invaded an independent country

I think we're already saying that now, in fact I've been saying it for years, he's always been a "wrong un" 

 

[Impulse]

I've got no problem with people turning up in Russian kit because at the end of the day I know they aren't pro-Russian wannabe militia; they're a nerd playing BB wars in the woods.

Will I be wearing Russian kit? No, though I've never really been interested in Russian stuff. I'm more about independent loadouts, but assuming I was big into my Russian kit, I'd probably look to use something else while this is going on. Would I blame someone for not doing so? Absolutely not, it's my personal choice not to run it and I don't much care about what other people do with their choices. We're a free society at the end of the day.

Me neither, never had the slightest interest in their kit. 

And thinking about it, yeah it'd be pretty shit for Airsoft in general if the press got hold of pics of players in Russian loadouts at the moment, you can imagine the spin they'd put on it. 

Also, this is very true. Having been a journalist I can very much say that the media would put some horrific spin on it because shock content gets clicks, which is all they're chasing at the end of the day. For that reason alone (we know how journos love to paint our hobby anyway) I think it's probably a better idea to hang up the Russian kit for now, purely to safeguard the hobby from those who would destroy it for their own gain (journos, politicians etc).