https://doi.org/10.31261/pr.23461
This article compares Russian-language internet memes about Russia’s war in Ukraine produced both within the Russian Federation and within the Russian-speaking diaspora in Western countries. Using a qualitative semiotic and contextual approach, the analysis highlights different strategies of interpreting and commenting on the conflict depending on the socio-political context. Memes circulating in Russia more often rely on irony, humor, and allusion, operating within the constraints of the public discourse, whereas diaspora memes more frequently take the form of symbolic criticism, mocking propaganda and emphasizing the social and moral consequences of the war. The article argues that memes constitute an important tool in shaping attitudes toward war, power, and identity, and reveal divisions within the Russian-speaking community.
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Vol. 194 No. 2 (194) (2026)
Published: 2026-06-30
10.31261/pr
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Język Polski
Русский
English