The Media Discourse of Victory Day: Risks for Modern Youth

Abstract

The article critically examines the portrayal of the Second World War, the Great Patriotic War, and Victory Day in social media, media outlets, and official documents. The author sheds light on both Russian and foreign discourses surrounding this subject, emphasizing how these discourses employ specific narratives to reshape historical memory and manipulate historical consciousness to serve their own interests. The study aims to identify prevailing trends in both Russian and foreign discourses through the utilization of content analysis to scrutinize the content of sources, discourse analysis to gauge the impact of the created content on historical memory and consciousness, and the historical method to juxtapose the presented narratives with the historical context. Through this comprehensive approach, the author concludes that young people are particularly vulnerable to the influence of interested actors who, by manipulating facts and information, seek to shape their historical consciousness and self-identification. The study underscores the significance of understanding and critically evaluating the narratives propagated in these discourses, especially in relation to their potential impact on the historical perspectives of the younger generation.