Аннотация:
This article focuses on the visual narratives of Ukrainian war-themed video games,
analysing how they depict the Russia-Ukraine war and contribute to the national
narrative of resistance and resilience. Using cultural, structuralist and critical
approaches, the research examines the portrayal of cultural heroes, chronotypes, values,
and carnival mechanisms in these visual narratives. This article analyses how visual
elements in Ukrainian video games reflect and respond to contemporary socio-political
realities and how Ukrainian game developers navigate the complexities of their nation's
history, memory, and identity while contributing to ongoing discourses surrounding
resistance and resilience. The study identifies key Ukrainian narratives: the sanctity of
Ukraine’s borders (map), new war topos, and the invasion-centred timeline; Ukraine’s
global mission against evil; individual contributions to national victory; and the
carnivalesque nature of the Ukrainian culture. Computer game narratives deconstruct
enemy propaganda, highlight Ukraine's resilience, and inform the global community
about events in Ukraine.
