Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine

Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, has spoken out against the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pajitnov, who is Russian (but now lives in the U.S.) gave a statement decrying the actions of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The statement, which was shared with GamesBeat, says, “I am addressing to you, my friends and colleagues. The dirty bloody war running now in Ukraine is so awful that nobody could stay aside. The soulless crazy dictator, who started this evil, is a war criminal and will be stopped and condemned. It is very sad and shameful that the big part of people in Russia still do not realize that. I am sure that Putin and his hateful regime will fall down and the normal peaceful way of living will be restored in Ukraine and, hopefully in Russia.”

Pajitnov and Tetris are both major figures in the history of gaming. Pajitnov originally created Tetris on Soviet-era computers in 1984. One of the game’s taglines was “From Russia, with fun.”

The Tetris Company also gave a statement last week in support of Ukraine. Speaking with Nintendo Life, VP and General Manager Casey Pelkey said, “I had an opportunity to discuss with Alexey about what’s happening in Ukraine during his recent visit to our offices. Needless to say, he and the rest of our family at Tetris are heartbroken. We stand with Ukraine and remain deeply saddened by the ongoing crisis which continues to threaten the safety and well-being of its citizens.”

Several gaming companies have expressed support for Ukraine, including Epic, CD Projekt Red, and EA. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all suspended operations in Russia.