Does "Scythian" mean something else for Russians?

Question

I looked up Scythian in the English dictionary. I am wondering if it has other connotations in Russian society. (Came across the word when reading a Russian story.) Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Yes and no. Although Scyth is just a name of an ancient nomadic tribe, for Russians it has a special meaning, because Russians consider Scynths (скифы in Russian) to be their ancestors (there is a famous poem "Scyths" by Alexandre Blok). For this reason this word has additional cultural context for Russians (like Apach or Pilgrim for Americans or Gael for French), which is very positive and romantic.