Conflict in Ukraine: multiplicity of narratives about the war and displacement

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe current situation in Ukraine, which to some extent influences the social and political climate in Europe, may be perceived entirely differently from the position of an insider compared with that of an outsider, as well as from the perspective of the researcher and an individual person. This article is going to present and analyse the three prevailing narratives about the conflict, which shape the continuum for the multiplicity of individual stories, basing on the concept of strategic narratives (Berenskoetter, 2014). How is a Ukrainian self-victimizing narrative formulated out of the situation and what kind of national biography does it presuppose? What arguments are used to develop a Russian strategic narrative and what mechanisms distribute this narrative in media? How is the conflict moulded in a geopolitical narration? Finally, how do Ukrainians with different backgrounds perceive these narratives and what attitudes towards the situation they may have? This article aims to summarize the main discourses presented in Ukrainian society, an understanding of which is needed for personal narrative construction, reconciliation and security building. The final part of the article will present the personal stories of internally displaced people, obtained through the series of in-depth interviews, and highlight the possible options for peacebuilding and reconciliation in Ukrainian society.