Key Anti-Russian Narratives in the Propaganda Discourse of Periodicals of the German Occupation Zones of Ukraine (1941–1944)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to highlight the basic anti-Russian narrative, on the basis of which interpretation of the historical part of Ukrainians was made during the Nazi occupation and a new model of historical memory was formed.

The methods of content analysis of the contents of occupation periodicals, typological, comparative and Ukrainian-centric approach were used.

Scientific novelty. On the basis of a critical and systematic analysis of the sources, a problem not sufficiently studied by historical science is considered. The basic historical narrative in the propaganda efforts of local periodicals in the German occupation zones of Ukraine became Governmental ideals, the heroic struggle of Ukrainians against external enemies, the most dangerous of which was Moscow, and later – imperial Russia and the Bolshevik regime. Bolshevism was declared the direct successor of the Russian Empire, which exceeded the imperial regime in its bloody crimes. The main thematic plot, which can be traced in the periodicals of all German occupation zones of Ukraine, was the reconstruction of the history of Kyivan Rus – as the first state of Ukrainians, as well as the liberation movements of the Cossack era and the period 1917–1921. In the content of the periodical materials, an exclusively negative image of the Russian Empire, and the Bolshevik state was formed. All of them were occupying authorities, which conquered Ukraine by various means and mercilessly extorted the people. At the same time, the Russian-Bolshevik occupation authorities sought to physically exterminate Ukrainians. This was confirmed by the publication of the facts of mass crimes committed by the Russian Bolsheviks against Ukraine, including the Holodomor organized by them in 1932–1933.