ANTI-UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL NARRATIVES IN THE RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE YOUTUBE AS A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines anti-Ukrainian historical narratives in the Russian-language YouTube as a threat to the national security of Ukraine. To achieve the goal, the key changes caused by the information and communication transformations of the last few decades were characterized, in particular, the widespread use of personal computers, smartphones, and information and communication platforms for communication and dissemination of ideas. The main advantages and disadvantages of social networks and YouTube for the spreading of narratives, in particular historical ones, are characterized. The Russian official historical narrative, its comparison with the national narratives of neighboring countries, in particular Ukraine, is analyzed. A comparison of the main approaches to the formation of the Russian policy of historical memory and the policy of historical memory in European states is made. It was determined that from the beginning of the XXI century the sacralization of historical memory in relation to the USSR was clearly observed in the Russian Federation. Russian official historical narrative is based on the ideologies of chauvinism and revisionism. It is a key element in justifying aggression against Ukraine and other states. This is the main element of the urgency of the problem. The main Russian “historical” YouTube channels in terms of audience size (by the number of subscribers and video views) have been established. The analysis of the content of such YouTube channels, Ukrainian state documents of a strategic nature and analytical literature made it possible to formulate common anti-Ukrainian signs in the interpretation of Ukrainian history. A comparison of Russian and Ukrainian YouTube channels specializing in historical content was made. The need for Ukraine to spread its own national historical narrative in the context of ensuring national security has been determined. In addition, the key real and potential problems of the implementation of the spread of the historical narrative in Ukraine were identified.