Narratives of the Russia-Ukraine war in Ukrainian popular music 

Dr Anna Glew, a Leverhulme Early Career researcher at the Department of Music, explores the narratives of war in Ukrainian popular music created after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 

The aim of this project is to examine how Ukrainian post-invasion popular war songs and music videos narrate Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Overarchingly, this project is guided by the following interrelated research questions: How do war songs and music videos narrate the everyday experiences of the war (including displacement, loss, and distress) and the associated trauma? How do war songs and music videos narrate Ukraine (its past, present, and future; its leadership, society, and national identity)? Is Ukraine presented as a victim or an agent? What narratives of Russia as the aggressor and of international support are produced? How does music respond to Russian propaganda? When answering these questions, the use of cultural and historical resources, humour, and other means of narrative construction will be explored.  

As part of the project, a database of war-related Ukrainian popular songs has been created, and it is used to undertake a critical analysis of the text (the lyrics of the songs and the visual language of the music videos). This project will provide insights into the issues of identity and nationhood in war-affected Ukraine and will also contribute to wider discussions on the role of popular music in times of crisis.  

Photo of Dr Anna Glew

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