Dynamics of changes in the image of Ukraine in the audiovisual art of the XXI century

Abstract

The article reviews some of the established stereotypes and new trends in the image of Ukraine and Ukrainians in the world audiovisual art. Traditionally, all nations rely primarily on stereotypes in their attitudes towards others. Most of the time, in the screen arts (especially when it comes to American films, television programmes, etc.), Ukrainians, russians, or Belarusians are portrayed as either «russians» or «Slavs» with a russian-centric identity. Cases of positive cinematic representation of Ukrainians in the twentieth century were an exception, the most notable of which was the film «The Fisherman’s Boots» (1968) by British director M. Anderson. The prototype of the protagonist, Cyril Lakota, the Archbishop of Lviv, who, after 20 years in a Siberian hard labour camp Gulag, is unexpectedly released and allowed to move to Rome, was Josyf Slipyj. After 1986, the theme of the Chornobyl tragedy became widespread in audiovisual artworks dedicated to Ukraine and Ukrainians. The disaster at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was perceived by the international community primarily as a real threat of a total nature, about which it is necessary to know as much as possible in order to protect the lives and health of the population of different countries. At the same time, the study of the psychological aspect of the tragedy, its impact on the minds of the direct participants, and the change in attitudes towards Chornobyl over time became a subject of particular artistic interest. In the twenty-first century, the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, and the Ukrainian-russian war finally put an end to the interpretation of Ukrainian characters in world cinema as marginal representatives of the Russian screen narrative. A number of fiction and non-fiction films and TV series were released about various aspects of the lives of Ukrainians, who are now clearly identified by their nationality and citizenship. A special role in this process is played by thematic programmes with historical content developed and implemented by T. Snyder.