„Nie przenoście nam stolicy do Kijowa”

Abstract

The article aims to supplement knowledge on the social consequences of the full-scale aggression against Ukraine launched by Russia in February 2022 with an analysis of the discourse of resentment towards Ukraine and the Ukrainians. Based on a study of online videos posted on YouTube and CDA.pl, the author provides answers concerning who the makers of such messages are, what content makes up the discourse of the so-called “Ukrainization”, and how this content is constructed. The study discussed here constitutes a kind of reflection on the general mechanisms behind the creation and dissemination of xenophobic discourses. Symbolic power exercised through traditional media contributed to the emergence of a media-based narrative of Polish-Ukrainian friendship, of mutual kindness, and of the assistance provided by one side and resulting in the gratitude of the other. However, new information and communication technologies have brought about the dissipation of this power, one of the consequences of which may include the making and watching of niche views incompatible with the grand narrative reiterated in interpersonal interactions and in the prevailing media content.