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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
For more than 12 years, the main chant of Ukrainian fans has been "Putin khuylo". It originated during the events of the Crimea occupation.
Today, 7 October, the head of the Kremlin Putin celebrates his birthday. In honor of such a "holiday" 24 channels the history of the appearance of the main football hit of all Ukrainian fans and not only them.
How the chant "Putin – khuylo" came about
The beloved chant of Ukrainian fans was born 30 in March 2014 year during a joint march of Kharkiv Metallist ultras and Donetsk Shakhtar. Various fan groups in Ukraine long fought with each other, organized fights. However, during the events of the Revolution of Dignity in 2013 – 2014, fans of all Ukrainian clubs united.
Both Metallist and Shakhtar fans had previously fought with Dynamo Kyiv. And among Kharkiv ultras there was a chant that concerned the head of the capital football club.
At the end of March 2014 year, Yanukovych had already fled to Russia, and Putin began the occupation of Crimea. And during a joint march of Metallist and Shakhtar fans, the chant about the head of the Kremlin was born purely by chance, since both Surkis and Putin share a similar phonetic sequence.
First performance of the hit "Putin – khuylo" (contains profanity in the video)
The chant went viral. A video of its performance quickly spread through the Internet, turning into a real cultural meme and a well-known slogan. The phrase was later printed on souvenir items, such as floor mats and toilet paper.
When the chant started being performed abroad
Of course, at first the topic was picked up by fans of other Ukrainian clubs, in particular Dynamo and Karpaty Lviv. Soon the fan charge spread to Georgia and Lithuania, where, to put it mildly, people do not have a favorable view of the Russian leader.
Even during a match in Tbilisi in September 2026 year, Georgians chanted a hit that originated 12 years ago.
Chant performed by Dynamo Tbilisi fans (video contains profanity)
Interestingly, the chant later emerged beyond stadiums. This slogan was used during street protests, in political and cultural spheres. Ukraine national team fans took the chant to France for Euro 2016.
Ukrainian and English fans perform the chant at Euro 2016 (video contains profanity)
And it was performed not only by Ukrainians there. For example, the fans of the blue-yellow team joined in with the English, together charging the hit on the streets of France.
Where the authors of the chant are now
There is no single author of the chant. It was energized by Metallist fans on a joint march with Shakhtar fans. In March 2014 year Donetsk was not yet occupied, but the occupation of Crimea was already taking place and the situation in eastern Ukraine was starting to heat up.
The slogan spread quickly / Photo from open sources
In spring 2014 year, the ATO began, and among others, the first volunteers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine included football fans. Among them many representatives of Shakhtar ultras, whose home base Russia literally occupied, Metallist, because in Kharkiv Russia also tried to impose its power.
Of course, fans of all Ukrainian football clubs joined them. The chant "Putin – khuylo" became a powerful sprout of patriotic feelings and a sense of duty to defend the unity of the state.
What is happening with Shakhtar and Metallist now
The war in Donbas forced Shakhtar to leave their home city in spring 2014 year. Yet the club did not fall apart and remains at a high level. The miners are current champions of the Ukrainian Premier League and represent Ukraine in the Champions League.
The march of Metallist and Shakhtar fans / Screenshot from video
Metallist's fate was slightly different. Kharkiv remained under Ukrainian control. However in 2016 year Kharkiv Metallist disappeared from the football map because it belonged to pro-Russian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko, associated with Yanukovych.
True, the previous owner of the club, Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, later revived it. However, due to his legal problems (when he hit a person with a car), he fled Ukraine and ceased overseeing Metallist affairs.
Due to security conditions in Kharkiv, Metallist now plays in Uzhhorod. The team competes in the first league, and its roster is mainly made up of young graduates of the Kharkiv club's academy.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Як народилась кричалка "Путін х*йло": цікаві факти про головний футбольний хіт України". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
