Mother Russia

English

A cover of Sentry (Часовой) magazine, depicting Russia as a woman in a traditional costume liberated by a warrior (1932)

Etymology

Calque of Russian Ма́тушка Росси́я (Mátuška Rossíja) or Росси́я-Ма́тушка (Rossíja-Mátuška).

Proper noun

Mother Russia

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Mother Russia

Wikipedia

1. A national personification of Russia as a woman, appearing in patriotic posters, statues, etc.
2. (metonymically) Russia.
   • 1920, Malcolm Waters Davis, Open Gates to Russia, page 44:

     We did not understand what it was all about; but we were defending Mother Russia.

   • 1970, Wally Ferris, Across 110th, page 103:

     In the thirties and forties, they were the Marxists talkin' about spreading Mother Russia's legs around the world; now it's sing along with the black man.

   • 2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 165:

     Collective daydreaming shut down when we boarded the Soviet-made airliner in Korea. Next stop Mother Russia.

Translations

national personification of Russia

Bulgarian: Майка Русия f (Majka Rusija) Catalan: Mare Rússia f Finnish: Äiti-Venäjä French: Mère Russie f German: Mütterchen Russland n Hebrew: אִמָּא רוּסְיָה f (ímma rúsya) Italian: Madre Russia f Marathi: रशिया माता f (raśiyā mātā) Polish: Matka Rosja f Portuguese: Mãe Rússia f Romanian: Mama Rusie f, Mama Rusia f Russian: Матушка Россия f (Matuška Rossija), Россия-Матушка f (Rossija-Matuška) Spanish: Madre Rusia f