Deconstructing the 'Russian World': Pop Culture as Resistance in the Russo-Ukrainian War

• In Event: Present in the Past: Instrumentalisation of the Past in Memory, Mass Culture, and Self-Presentations

Abstract

This paper explores how contemporary Ukrainian pop culture deconstructs the ideology of the “Russian world” amid the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war through memes, caricatures, songs, cartoons, merchandise, and graffiti. Using multimodal discourse analysis, it examines how these cultural artifacts challenge historical myths of unity, reject Russian influence, and assert Ukraine’s distinct national identity, shaping a powerful counter-narrative of resistance.

Author

• Liudmyla Pidkuimukha, Justus Liebig U Giessen (Germany)