CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE OF UKRAINIAN FOLKLORE IN MILITARY CLINTEXT: DYNAMICS OF SACRED SPACE AND EVOLUTION OF THE GENRE OF ORDER

Abstract

The study is dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of archaic folklore codes during the ongoing full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the shift in the coordinates of sacred space and examines the process of revitalization and digitalization of the verbal magic genre. Based on current material from contemporary military culture and recent poetic discourse (specifically, the works of S. A. Zhadan, K. E. Kalytko, and M. R. Savka), it is demonstrated how traditional protective semantic markers, which historically belonged to the local space of the house, hearth, or threshold, are transferred to military objects (dugouts, trenches, military equipment, and personal protective gear). This process is interpreted as a method of symbolic appropriation and sacralization of the dangerous warfare environment, converting it into a conditional safety zone. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the genre of charms, incantations, and curses under the influence of modern communication technologies.
In terms of the methodological framework, the author builds upon the research of Polish scholars, specifically the theoretical contributions of P. Grochowski to the field of electronic folklore as text and cultural practice, as well as the expertise of international institutional projects led by A. Wylegała focused on documenting war narratives and oral testimonies of war. Through the lens of these approaches, Ukrainian military content, the artistic reception of traditional archetypes, and internet memes are analyzed as a specialized, instrumentalized coping strategy and a crucial component of memetic warfare.
The functioning of modified folk charms within social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) is investigated, where they acquire the characteristics of media memes. It is determined that these new verbal formulas lose their classical secrecy and elitism, transforming into viral digital content. The specifics of collective ritual interaction in cyberspace are analyzed, where the mass commenting on patriotic posts performs the function of a choral incantation. The author proves that modern military folklore successfully combines ancient mental structures with the technological tools of the information age. The psychotherapeutic, apotropaic, and mobilizing functions of verbal magic adapt to the demands of cyberspace, turning archaic folklore into an effective tool for psychological defense, the canalization of public aggression, and the construction of national identity under existential threat. All citations of contemporary authors have a clear reference to the sources.