Visual symbols of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and their deconstruction in Perets Vesela Respublika magazine cartoons (2022 – 2024)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to examine the historical deployment of ‘Z’ and ‘V’ symbols as propaganda tools to legitimize the invasion of Ukraine. It traces their functional evolution and analyzes the unique strategies of ideological deconstruction employed within Ukrainian political cartooning to neutralize these symbols. The methodological framework for analyzing the symbolic content of ‘Z’ and ‘V’ symbols and their reception relies on W. J. T. Mitchell’s theories regarding the social life of images. Following Mitchell, this study interprets the ridicule of these symbols in Ukrainian cartoons as active iconoclasm. This strategy neutralizes ideological threats by dismantling the fear that their visual power inspires. Furthermore, Nicholas Mirzoeff’s concept of visuality serves as the basis for explaining how ‘Z’ and ‘V’ exert control over Russian citizens, while framing their deconstruction in cartoons as a tactical resistance to the totalizing power of visuality during wartime. The scientific novelty of this research consists of a comprehensive analysis of ‘Z’ and ‘V’ symbols throughout their entire trajectory: from their emergence as tools of Russian military mobilization to their ideological degradation and symbolic destruction within the pages of Perets Vesela Respublika magazine. This study unravels the specific mechanisms of deconstruction that transform these propaganda markers into objects of ridicule. Conclusions. The ‘Z’ and ‘V’ symbols originated without any inherent ideological or cultural-historical foundation. Their semantic vacuum, coupled with aggressive state popularization, transformed these signs into primitive yet potent instruments of mobilization. Consequently, the Russian authorities weaponized this visual simplicity to exert control over the public consciousness during the invasion. At the same time, these symbols became targets for counter-visual reinterpretation and deconstruction through Ukrainian cartoons. Cartoons destroy the ideological pathos of this propaganda product, both in terms of analyzing the causes and consequences of the war and the concepts of the ‘Russian world’ and Rashism. The ‘Z’ symbol serves as the semantic center of satirical criticism, functioning as both a marker of aggression and a visual identity code for the average Russian. By exposing the striking parallels between the visual aesthetics of twentieth-century totalitarianism and modern Russia, cartoonists highlight their shared ideological continuity in fostering imperial narratives and maintaining hypocritical pacifist rhetoric amidst militaristic expansion. By employing the ‘war – peace’ dichotomy, cartoonists indict the Russian Federation for unleashing aggression against Ukraine. This artistic strategy underscores the purely destructive role of the ‘Z’ and ‘V’ propaganda symbols, revealing them as catalysts for the erosion of global peace.