“Glory to Ukraine!” Cultural icons as national identity anchors during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Higher Seminar in Media and Communication Studies with Olena Fomenko, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale offensive on Ukraine, which marked a new stage in the Russia-Ukraine war that began with the Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. The threat to the very existence of our sovereign state united the Ukrainian nation, and the whole country mobilized to defend its territory, freedom, and identity. Within hours of Russia’s attack, a new, more inclusive, national identity narrative about Ukraine emerged in public discourse. Cultural icons – symbolic elements identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture – have become the central elements of the new narrative. This seminar will explore the most significant cultural icons uniting the Ukrainians during the ongoing war. In particular, we will look at the origins of the icons and their role in strengthening national identity. The issues discussed in this seminar will provide novel insights into Ukrainian identity and its changes during the invasion.

Olena Fomenko (PhD) is an Associate Professor for Chair of Language and Stylistics at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

It will be possible to participate in the seminar both live on campus or digitally via Zoom. For more information including Zoom link, please contact Saga Hansén (details below).