Euphemisms to talk about the dead, military jargon, patriotic poems and self-censorship: two and a half years of war in Ukraine have had an impact on Russian language and literature. According to Nina Popova, a pro-government author who is also the deputy head of the Russian Writers' Union, the appearance of patriotic poems and songs shows that the conflict in Ukraine is taking on an almost "sacred dimension": "The title 'For Our Friends' (a new patriotic poetry book) has a unifying meaning that says you are not alone in this world. You have friends, you will stand for them, and they will stand for you, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES