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« 2022. # 5 (167)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. № 5 (167), 1013—1040

UDK 930.2:[316.346.2-055.2:355.01](477:470+571)”2014/2022″

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2022.05.1013

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR OF 2014—2022

KILAR Anastasia

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3360-513X
  • Postgraduate student of the Departmentof Historical Ethnology,
  • Ethnology Institute оf the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • 15 Svobody ave., Lviv, Ukraine, 79000,
  • Contacts: e-mail: anastasiakilar@gmail.com

Abstract. The role of Ukrainian women in the army has repeatedly been the subject of research by scientists. However, these studies relate more to the period of the First and Second World Wars. The modern Russian-Ukrainian war introduced many innovations in changing perceptions of Ukrainian women in the army. Considering the fact that the war is still going on, history is still being written, and therefore there are not many studies specifically about the modern period. This determines the relevance of this topic.

In this work, the author sets herself the goal of clarifying the specifics of the various roles of women in the war: as soldiers, as medics, as volunteers and household keepers: soldier’s wife, mother, sister.

The object of the study is a Ukrainian woman, and the subject is the imagery of her role during the war.

The methodological basis of the research is an interdisciplinary approach, which significantly expands the boundaries of research perspectives. Oral history as a source and method plays a key role in the study of this issue.

The territory of the study covers the entire modern territory of Ukraine. Chronological boundaries of the study: 2014 (the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war) and to the present (including the period of the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine on February 24, 2022).

The source base of the work was published and unpublished oral history sources, periodicals, mass media, complete monographs, and field research.

Our modern history is still being written, but we can already see how rapidly the perception of women in war is developing. Ukrainian women warriors confidently show themselves on a level with men, not inferior to them in any way, this applies to those specialties where you need to show not physical strength, but intellectual skills, patience and endurance. Women in the war proved themselves best as snipers, scouts, and communications workers. This is not taking into account other equally important roles, such as medics, volunteers, and guardians.

Keywords: Russian-Ukrainian war, roles of women in the war, medics, soldiers, volunteers, Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Received 5.09.2022

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