The problem of shaping image of the “Russian hero” in the context of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction. In a military conflict, each of the belligerents often has their own truth, and each one tries to prove justice is on their side. Justification of the righteousness of their cause by the belligerents carries a twofold purpose. On the one hand, it must convince the world community that their actions comply with the norms of international law, and, on the other, – ensure the approval of the government’s policy by their own people. One of the ways of shaping the desired public opinion in Russia is the efforts of Russian propaganda to create the image of a “Russian hero” in the context of armed aggression against Ukraine.

The aim of this study is to analyze the activities of Russian propaganda in shaping the image of the “Russian hero” in the context of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

The methodology of the study is based on the principles of science, on the use of general scientific methods; inter alia, the methods of analysis and synthesis.

Main results and conclusions. Considering the problem of shaping the image of the “Russian hero” in the context of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, one can speak of certain legal and ethical difficulties faced by Russian propaganda. In October 2016, the process of glorifying Arsen Pavlov began in the Russian information space. At the same time, he is described in the Ukrainian information space as a “terrorist” and “war criminal”. This situation clearly shows the state of the information war between Russia and Ukraine. No wonder Russian and Ukrainian audiences perceive Russian aggression and Russian militants in Ukraine from different perspectives. In the top leadership of the Russian Federation, the decision to glorify the figure of Arsen Pavlov, also known as Motorola, did not find unequivocal support. Therefore, initiatives in this direction did not result in an organized campaign and over time began to fade away. Although in fact the Russian power structures initiated, organized and are still waging the war against Ukraine, Russia still does not officially recognize its involvement in the hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Taking this into account, Russian citizens, fighting on the territory of Ukraine formally violate Art. 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Mercenarism”, the third paragraph of which reads: “Participation by a mercenary in an armed conflict or hostilities shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of three to seven years”. Recognizing a person like Motorola as a “Russian hero” would mean officially approving all his deeds, including the war crimes he committed. Obviously, the top Russian leadership is not ready for this at the moment. Nevertheless, some attempts to introduce the person of Motorola into the modern pantheon of Russian heroes are successful at the local level. Russian propaganda continues to keep its audience in an anti-Ukrainian tone.