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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.68.08.5
How to Cite:
Biletskyi, V., Onkovych, H., Flegontova, N., Adamia, Z., & Onkovуch, A.D. (2023). Implementation of the myth of the cultural
hero in the social and political reality of Ukraine. Amazonia Investiga, 12(68), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.68.08.5
Implementation of the myth of the cultural hero in the social and
political reality of Ukraine
ВПРОВАДЖЕННЯ МІФУ ПРО КУЛЬТУРНОГО ГЕРОЯ
У СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПОЛІТИЧНУ РЕАЛЬНІСТЬ УКРАЇНИ
Received: July 5, 2023 Accepted: August 23, 2023
Written by:
Vitalii Biletskyi1
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2818-131X
Hanna Onkovych2
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9493-9104
Natalia Flegontova3
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9418-3316
Zoia Adamia4
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6841-622X
Artem D. Onkovуch5
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-3714
Abstract
The article analyzes populist trends in the modern
social and political space of Ukraine, in particular,
the process of introducing the myth of the cultural
hero. The methodological foundation is Jungian
philosophy, which recognizes that social activity is
caused by the motivational forces of the collective
unconscious (C. Jung, E. Fromm, J. Campbell). The
hypothesis is put forward that the political choice of
the electorate is a manifestation of the
objectification of the universal cross-cultural myth.
During the analysis of the architectonics of the
corresponding myth, 11 mythologemes were found,
combined into a narrative about the evolution of a
prominent person. The presence of these
mythologemes in the television series “Servant of
the People”, which contributed to the victory of the
young actor Vol. Zelensky in the presidential
elections of 2019, was traced. It is concluded that
the mentioned cinematographic product covertly
influenced the electoral position, forming it by
means of instrumental labelling based on a myth
imprinted in the subconscious.
Keywords: political myth, cultural hero,
mythologeme, collective subconscious,
manipulation of mass consciousness.
1
Candidat of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor, Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine.
2
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, professor, Kyiv Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
3
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Kyiv Medical University, Ukraine.
4
Doctor of Philology, Professor, Georgian International University, Sokhumi State University, (Georgia), Tskhum-Abkhazian
Academy of Sciences (Georgia).
5
Candidat of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Kyiv.
Biletskyi, V., Onkovych, H., Flegontova, N., Adamia, Z., Onkovуch, A.D. / Volume 12 - Issue 68: 52-66 / August, 2023
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Introduction
Since the beginning of the 21st century, populism
has become a widespread form of interaction
between citizens and authorities in democratic
political systems. Populist consciousness is
based on the leader flirting with the masses by
speculating on the real needs and interests of the
latter. Unsubstantiated promises, demagoguery,
maximalism of statements, mandatory criticism
of predecessors, a simplified view of life, belief
in a panacea for all problems, search for the
“Another” (from among immigrants, refugees,
political opposition, representatives of racial,
ethnic, linguistic, religious minorities, as well as
the “rich men” – the financial and political elite),
in whom the roots of all troubles are seen – these
are just some signs of populism. Populists
intuitively feel that they act in the objectively
right direction, but, carried away with everyday
concerns (winning the election by their leader,
eliminating competitors, creating a positive
image of their own party, etc.), they often forget
about the ultimate goal. Nevertheless, populism
is confidently sweeping across the planet,
demonstrating that in the conditions of the
growing role of political technologies, the
populist tactics of dilettantes are no less effective
than the competition of experienced managers.
more usual for democratic procedures. The
coming of populists to power can become a
serious problem, because public administration
carried out by non-specialists and novices
automatically causes a series of crises or even
disasters in economic, domestic and foreign
political life, negatively affects the material
condition of citizens, the legal regulation of their
relations, naturally causes dysfunction social
institutions, corruption, inflation, decline of
public morality, etc.
When people talk about the power of populists,
first of all, they talk, about Donald Trump and
such a phenomenon as “Trumpism”. However,
this phenomenon is not limited by the borders of
the United States, and even in Ukraine, we have
a pronounced example of how, with the help of
populist promises and flirting with the
“audience”, a person who previously had neither
relevant knowledge and experience, nor skill in
managing institutions of the state and society,
received the highest political position. Case of
Vol. Zelensky is, in Iryna Bekeshkina’s opinion,
is an evidence of a high level of development of
political technologies, which “created a
presidential candidate out of nothing.”
Why, ignoring the basic logic of cause and effect
relationships, did a significant part of the
Ukrainian electorate support beginners who are
weak in state leadership in the presidential
elections in 2019? Political scientists, social
philosophers and psychologists are still looking
for an answer to this question. The vast majority
of them indicate the vulnerability of the mass
consciousness to external technical and
manipulative influences, the low level of critical
thinking and the excessive flexibility of public
morality (Biletskiy, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, 2019;
Dodonov R., 2016; Dodonov D., 2017a;
Dodonov R., 2017b). In particular, it was proven
that the broadcast of a specially constructed
sprawling mythology, which is based on the
collective unconscious, is a basic tool for
controlling people during the hybrid war waged
by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The methods of suppression of critical thinking
and the spread of mythology can produce fear,
direct hatred, enmity and aggression in the
direction needed by politicians. The masses
themselves become obsessed with a fanatical
political belief in given simple ideas and easily
manipulated by corresponding slogans. In this
way, instrumental influence on the masses can
act as a modern weapon.
Is a similar technology of myth-making the
modus operandi in influencing the electorate?
Obviously, there is a good reason for heroizing
the comedian Vol. Zelensky, endowing him with
imaginary qualities of a hero of the nation, an
ideal leader, a messiah, and making him the
favorite of the presidential race in 2019.
We suggest that in the case of this and similar
rapid ascents of political dilettantes and their
victory over specialists with great experience, we
are also dealing with the manipulation of mass
consciousness – a hidden technological influence
on society (Kara-Murza, 2005). The basis of
such influence is the construction and mass
implementation of a special mythological
narrative with a predetermined goal.
We assume that during the pre-election campaign
for the 2019 presidential election, an information
product of a manipulative essence, which can be
conventionally called an “electoral myth”, was
broadcast to the masses. It obviously contained
discourses, archetypal patterns that increased the
impact of the popularity of a given person,
created an aura of his chosenness, sacredness,
and endowed him with the qualities of an
unconditional leader.
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We would like to note that if this hypothesis is
confirmed during the work, it will be necessary
to state the dysfunction of the election institution.
Political-technological manipulation of society
means changing the very essence of free
conscious voting. Manipulation turns a critical,
mentally mature electorate into a weak-willed
object, puppet-controlled by activated programs
of the collective unconscious.
The purpose of this article is a detailed
dissection, highlighting of the architectonics and
semantic contexts of the subconscious
mythological narrative about an outstanding
unique sacralized personality – a “cultural hero.”
Theoretical references or literature review
The direct key for theoretical analysis is the
works by V. Propp and J. Campbell. It was these
authors who covered the cross-cultural and
timeless heroic narrative comprehensively. At
the beginning and at the end of the 20 th century,
they independently presented their integral vision
of the myth of the formation of an outstanding
person with the gradual unfolding of immanent
discourses.
Research Methodology
The methodological basis of the theoretical part
of the work is the scientific and philosophical
ideas expressed by C. Jung, E. Fromm, V. Propp,
J. Campbell, M. Eliade, G. Sorel, C. Levi-
Strauss. Having analyzed the architectonics of
the mythological component of the subconscious
of the masses and peoples, these authors
independently reached completely identical
conclusions. The classics of psychoanalysis,
folkloristics, religious studies and social
philosophy believed that the heroic-archetypal
narrative is the universal background of the
conscious activity of any modern person. In
addition, it has a powerful influence on political
choices, encouraging the electorate to
subconsciously prefer persons associated with
the mythical hero.
The following analysis and comparison of their
positions will allow us to build an
interdisciplinary synthetic view of the myth of
the cultural hero (Campbell, 2018). A descriptive
method will also be used to clarify the semantic
content of each of the subsidiary mythologemes.
According to the purpose, we will focus on the
search for philosophical and paraphilosophical
literary sources, the authors of which analyze the
heroic-mythological component of the collective
subconscious. After that, a theoretical
comparative analysis of the approaches to the
components of architectonics of the cultural hero
myth and their contextual and discursive content
will be conducted. This will make it possible to
practically track the presence of subconscious
semantic blocks in the campaign material that
promoted the candidacy of V. Zelensky. If the
latter are established, the assumption about the
creation of a political myth, artificial
sacralization and hidden influence on the masses
will turn into a proven fact.
The practical part of the work will consist in the
study of the video product, which was broadcast
immediately before the elections of the President
of Ukraine in 2019. It was in the TV series
“Servant of the People” that actor Volodymyr
Zelensky played the role of a person who became
the leader of our state.
The working hypothesis of this study is the
assumption that this series was not an
entertaining political satire from the very
beginning, but was created with a premeditated
manipulative purpose. After all, the actor who
played the main role of the President of Ukraine
a few years later actually became one. And it is
unlikely that a mystical coincidence took place
here.
To confirm this hypothesis, the method of
factuality, content analysis, and a comparative
approach are involved. They will make it
possible to perform a scientific search and
highlight the presence of hidden and therefore
manipulative discourses, symbols, events, etc.,
similar to the stages of the unfolding of the myth
of the cultural hero, in the video product.
We would like to note that the philosophical
terminological base we use is generally
postmodern. The terms that describe the stages of
the populist myth and the names of its characters
were borrowed from the works of
anthropologists, culturologists, ethnographers,
and sociologists, which explains the specificity
and original articulation of these concepts. Such
are, for example, the concepts of the Prophet,
Magical Helper, Guardian of the Threshold, etc.
Results and Discussion
Psychoanalytic philosophy, having significantly
expanded and clarified the vision of the hidden
continuums of the psyche, clearly demonstrated
the weight of the collective unconscious in the
determinism of human behavior. C.-G. Jung
(1968, 1996, 2016) and his followers proved that
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it is the collective subconscious, structured by
archetypes, that determines preferences, sets the
criteria basis for evaluating oneself and reference
persons, namely family, religious, political, etc.
The search for the genetic and ontological
foundations of this layer of the human soul led
philosophers to the conclusion about its
hereditary nature (Jung, 1996, 2016; Halbwachs,
2007; Szondi, 2007, Fromm, 2006). In other
words, collective unconscious constructs are
fundamentally similar in all people. They are
inherited from the ancestors most distant in time,
who lived in clan and tribal societies and used a
mythological worldview.
It is important that in parallel with this, during the
19th and 20th centuries, classics of sociology,
cultural studies, ethnography, folkloristics and
archeology found surprisingly similar behavioral
complexes and myths in the everyday and ritual
practices of the peoples of the planet (Propp,
2000, 2001; Eliade, 2010, 2018; Sorel, 2012;
Levi-Strauss, 1988, 1991). This fact of similarity
attracted the attention of psychoanalytic
philosophy and made it possible to see what
exactly was inherited from ancestors. It became
possible to clearly associate the constructs of the
subconscious with specific practices and beliefs
of primitive societies. There was a transition to
object-fact analysis of individual subconscious
archetypes and mythological narratives.
One of the most notable was the archetype of the
Hero (cultural hero) and the corresponding
narrative about the formation of the sacred
person as a messiah, savior of the people, etc.
This mythical narrative was studied in detail by
culturologist and folklorist V.Y. Propp and
Jungian philosopher J. Campbell.
It is these scientists who give us the direct key for
theoretical analysis problem of our research. It
was these authors who covered the cross-cultural
and timeless heroic narrative comprehensively.
At the beginning and at the end of the 20 th
century, they independently presented their
integral vision of the myth of the formation of an
outstanding person with the gradual unfolding of
immanent discourses.
In addition, it is these authors who give us the
most fruitful material, since their visions, firstly,
complement each other, and secondly, are
systematized in detail. The mutual addition of
these authors is that J. Campbell found the same
algorithms of the mythological narrative among
the legends of the peoples of the world, and
V. Y. Propp focused more attention on the
identity of the functional characters in the myth
of the cultural hero. Their developments are
convenient for our comparative analysis and
synthesis of the overall picture of the unfolding
of the myth in the subconscious.
So, the universal cross-cultural monomyth about
the Hero, which is observed among all the
peoples of the world and is secretly present in any
person, contains the following gradually built
mythologemes-discourses.
The architectonics of deployment of the
mythologemes
1. Appearance of the character. The
transformation of an average person into a
Hero is in its early stages. At the moment,
the myth shows its dawn – a discourse is held
that this character is an ordinary person who
is engaged in the usual affairs and concerns
of their social group. Symbols of family
impoverishment (poverty), problematic
routine life, monotony of existence are used
in the mythologeme. There is also the idea
that such a life, from which a person must
escape, is unreal, a dream, a delusion.
J. Campbell believes that for further
sacralization, the monomyth will contain a
picture of the mysterious (unusual) birth of
this person, orphanage, abandonment as an
infant, etc. (Campbell, 2018: 249, 253). It is
also very likely that this child has innate
signs of a future calling. The masses are
convinced in advance that the future leader
came from an environment identical to them.
He is, so to speak, “friend”, similar, “almost
me”. It should be noted that according to this
logic, the appearance of the future Hero at
this stage will not be too expressive. It
should embody as many attributes of general
population as possible.
2. Awakening and feeling the call. The
narrative shifts to a discourse of sudden loss
(or risk of loss) of something important
without which a previous, relatively
peaceful existence would become
uncomfortable or impossible. This can refer
to personal belongings, loved ones, or their
health, or work, etc. (“The Call to
Adventure” according to J. Campbell, 2018:
47-54; “Trouble and opposition” according
to V. Propp, 2000: 30). As a rule, such an
event is accompanied by a meeting with the
Prophet of the future journey. Someone or
something should push the Hero to the need
to leave, escape from his previous life, to
have a trip, to travel. In the myths of peoples,
a wide selection of images of a teacher,
older people, violent sudden weather
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changes, and atypical behavior of animals
are reflected. It is interesting that
J. Campbell considered an expressive
appearance, old age or even zoomorphism,
which signifies the chthonic nature, to be
common to the Prophet. There can be
several Prophets in the myth and calling
situations – that is, the Hero is awakened by
a number of chthonic forces. They predict
changes, adventures, exit from the usual
society, travel and future metamorphoses to
acquire supernatural properties or (and)
artifacts. The myth shows that the space of
these adventures is extremely mysterious,
full of power, energy, and secrets. This space
of the incomprehensible in the mythologeme
is associated with images of the sea, a cave,
a mountainous country, an underwater
world, an island, etc. The extreme
remoteness of the locus of the future journey
and the disregard of travel time are also
characteristic. This is quite predictable,
because the primitive consciousness is
atemporal and does not operate with specific
units of time.
3. Refusal of the call. Hero’s call to travel,
escape from the usual society can be ignored
(Campbell, 2018: 54). Then there is a state
of stagnation, decline of spiritual forces.
This can be embodied in symbols of death,
illness, sleep, numbness, freezing, déjà vu,
repetitiveness, slowness, routine of being,
sadness, etc. From J. Campbell’s point of
view, the above stages symbolize the
embryonic state of the Hero, his stay in the
womb, birth and infantile state. The next
stages of the narrative demonstrate the
formation of a mature autonomous
harmonious strong personalityі.
4. Re-encountering with the Patrons. The
state of apathy and depression of the Hero
continues until the threatening
circumstances of life and the infinitely
powerful Patrons still force him to go on a
journey (“Supernatural Aid” according to J.
Campbell, 2018: 60-67; “Getting a magical
remedy” according to V. Propp, 2000: 36-
40). As in the second stage, these persons are
personifications of ancestors or chthonic
forces, but here, according to analysts, their
personifications will tend to the female
appearance and (or) to zoomorphism. This
is probably explained by the fact that
totemism and matriarchy historically
preceded the patriarchal system. At the same
time, if there are several assistants, then the
appearance of one of them will be feminized,
because the patronage of leaving the womb
and ending the embryonic state is associated
with female support. Therefore, it is likely
that practitioners of consciousness
manipulation will try to use the signs of old
age together with power, spiritual energy.
There is also a possible plot when the Hero
will be helped by dead but authoritative
relatives who appeared during a dream or
vision. Patrons, finally awakening the future
leader, give him useful advice on further
trials, helpful amulets, tools, magic
formulas, prayers, etc.
5. The beginning of the journey. Overcoming
the first threshold. The activated protagonist
begins his journey and almost immediately
meets an obstacle, namely a person who
prevents him from entering the mysterious
country (Campbell, 2018: 67-76; Propp,
2000: 3-88). The Guardian of the Threshold
is watching so that profane people do not get
into the mysterious territory. But the Hero is
no longer like that. His state of readiness is
due to acquired knowledge, obedience to the
instructions of his ancestors, loyalty to
traditions, possession of ancestral
knowledge and useful artifacts. The main
character tries out these gifts of the Patrons,
engaging in a duel with the Guardian, resists
the temptations and wins. The discourse
demonstrates the acquired fearlessness,
courage of the Hero, his resistance to tricks
and ingenuity. Moreover, he wins not by
physical strength, but by self-control,
exceptional mental and moral qualities.
Physical victory, actually, is secondary.
6. Entering the mysterious space. Analysts are
unanimous in the fact that before entering
the mysterious space, the Hero needs to be
reborn (“Belly of the Whale” according to J.
Campbell, 2018: 76-83; “Mysterious
forest”, “Temporary death”, “Divided and
lively” according to V. Propp, 2000: 36-89).
It is necessary to turn from an ordinary,
albeit gifted person into a supernatural
being. He needs to experience a symbolic
death and a second birth – to enter and leave
the womb again. Such a transformation will
endow the protagonist with mystical
qualities and make him sacred. Therefore,
the storyline of the myth plunges the
character into a cave, the sea, the belly of
animals, a furnace, a black palace, a
mysterious and dark world, etc. In our
opinion, the adaptation of these symbols for
a modern person will look like a long
corridor, a mine, a cave, a subway, a
submarine, a labyrinth, a tunnel. The
mythologeme shows the contrast between
the profane world and the “world of
wonders” which the Hero enters. After exit
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from the other side – from the magical side
– he ceases to be just a person and begins to
use supernatural properties. But they still
need to be consolidated in the process of
passing the test.
7. Initialization. Currently, the narrative
introduces an opponent, an anti-hero, whose
image will appeal collectively to the
corresponding archetypes of the Thief,
Trickster and Chaos. In his attributes, there
are allusions to fire, darkness, blood, death,
decay, etc. The content of this discourse is to
demonstrate the successful passage of the
Hero’s physical and spiritual tests
(“Initialization”, “The Path of Trials”
according to J. Campbell, 2018: 83-91;
“The serpent in the story”, “Serpent
absorber” according to V. Propp, 2000:
183-207). The tasks set before him are
almost impossible, but he successfully
overcomes them. In this way, he
demonstrates a constant ability to
supernaturally establish his order, by
definition, the order of goodness, light, truth,
and justice. After victory, the opponent
either voluntarily recognizes the priority of
the Hero and gives him a gift, or the trophies
are obtained after the death of the anti-hero,
or the Hero gets them by tricks. This reward
will be discussed below.
8. Union with the ideal woman. The finale of
tests and initialization is the union of the
Hero with the Perfect Woman, who until the
moment of meeting him, is in a local place
of the Magic World (“Meeting with the
Goddess” according to J. Campbell, 2018:
91-103; “Bride” (“Princess”) according to
V. Propp, 2000: 258-265). This place is
associated with gold, crystal, white color,
spring, well, tower, etc. She is either in a
state of sleep or in social isolation. The
Hero’s victory activates it – liberates,
enlivens, awakens. Finding the Woman is
directed by the myth as a separate
adventure, a quest during which the Hero
cleverly selects her from among other
women – similar, but somehow false ones.
According to the researchers, the Perfect
Woman personifies the images of a mother,
sister and wife. The first and last roles are
especially important. She must act as the
Mother, who is potentially able to be the
substrate firstborn for the new Cosmos. The
Hero needs to make a lot of effort so that
such an independent and proud person
becomes his Wife. Marriage has a serious
meaning. It symbolizes the integration, the
combination into one whole of opposite
primals – the knowable one and the one who
knows, the activating and the substrate ones,
the force and the guiding subject. “The
mystical marriage with the regal Goddess of
Peace symbolizes the Hero’s complete
dominion over life, because the woman is
life, and the hero is the master who has come
to know it” (Campbell, 2018: 100). So, in the
collective subconscious, there is a discourse
about the evolution of the perfectly
harmonized personality of the Hero. He
appears as a reference person, a potential all-
powerful creator of the Universe. In
addition, there is an equally important
context – this person has earned love, gained
love. In other words, the Hero is a pre-
unconsciously beloved person who orders
chaos, a messiah, a source of good, an
adjuster of social order and justice.
Let’s go further in our investigation, because the
myth must return the protagonist back to the
people with a certain gift. In addition, the return
should be expected almost frustratingly.
9. Receipt of reward. The hero passed the test
and exhausted the sense of staying in the
Mysterious Space (“Apotheosis” and
“Reward at the End of the Path” according
to J. Campbell, 2018: 122-158). The Myth
should reward him with a valuable trophy,
discovery, or gift that the Hero acquired
through fair combat or trickery. In the
legends of the world, this treasure is
associated with fire, living water, elixir,
panacea, rejuvenating apples, magical
weapons, etc. There is also a discourse of
extraordinary importance, the exceptional
value of this gift for people and the urgent
need for it. We believe that during the
broadcast of this mythologeme, there will be
an appeal to similar symbols, because the
collective subconscious of the masses will
sensitively resonate with this artifact due to
its original fetishism.
10. Magical escape. Finally, the Hero begins a
return to the ordinary, profane world (“The
Magic Flight” and “Rescue from Without”
according to J. Campbell, 2018: 161-177;
“Magical flight” according to V. Propp,
2000: 298-305). The purpose of this is
essentially messianic. A tribe, community or
state needs to be given a gift – healing,
renewal, prosperity, truth, order and justice.
The scenario of the return path can be
simple. If the defeated guardians of the
talismans authorized the Hero to return
home, then he gets there without any
obstacles. But a more common adventure
plot is the chasing a couple. Threshold
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guardians and antagonists can prevent the
return and the protagonist secretly escapes
from them. During the chase, he leaves them
behind and leaves a number of obstacles in
front of the pursuers – probably three in
number (V. Propp, 2000). The purpose of
this is essentially messianic. A tribe,
community or state needs to be given a gift
– healing, renewal, prosperity, truth, order
and justice. The scenario of the return path
can be simple. If the defeated guardians of
the talismans authorized the Hero to return
home, then he gets there without any
obstacles. But a more common adventure
plot is the chasing a couple. Threshold
guardians and antagonists can prevent the
return and the protagonist secretly escapes
from them. During the chase, he leaves them
behind and leaves a number of obstacles in
front of the pursuers – probably three in
number.
11. Return to the world of people. The return
journey of the transformed Hero and his
couple will again be through the cave, the
sea, the mountains, through the sky (“The
Crossing of the Return Threshold”
according to J. Campbell, 2018: 178-198;
“The decisive obstacle”, “The
Enthronement of the hero” according to
V. Propp, 2000: 289-292, 298-305). It is
possible to embody the named symbols with
modern means by attracting the entourage of
the subway, airport, tunnel, long and dimly
lit corridors, etc., from which the Hero
comes out to the people who have been
waiting for him for a long time. From now
on, from the position of the collective
unconscious, he not only unites two primals
in himself – male and female ones, but is
also an inhabitant of two worlds – profane
and sacred worlds, personifying them in
himself. That is, the myth creates a powerful
syncretically whole and extremely
harmonious being. He is expected, people
want to love him in advance, imitate him,
recognize his priority.
It is also important that the Hero, due to constant
transformations, must have features of a
radically different appearance at the end of the
journey than at the beginning. He, for example,
must get scars, physical defects, signs of torture,
trials, maturity (Propp, 2000: 258, 297).
Metamorphoses of the hero is one of the
obligatory processes of the monomyth
(Campbell, 2018: 253-290).
Now, let’s move on to the “case of Volodymyr
Zelensky” and the practical analysis of the
“Servant of the People” TV series (IMDb (n.d.)
Servant of the People).
Regardless of our hypothesis about it as a form
of delivery of manipulative content, the series
had a high popularity rating (Metacritic (s.f.)).
That is, the mass liked it.
Before the presidential race, “Servant of the
People” was watched by more than 20 million
citizens of Ukraine (BBC News, 2019) and
broadcast in two dozen countries around the
world (Hrytcfeld, 2019).
Objectification of mythologemes in the TV
series “Servant of the People”
Episode 1. It is not difficult to see that discourses
are held here, which are components of the first
two mythologemes of the narrative about the
formation of a cultural hero. The mythologeme
“Appearance of the character” is fully
implemented and “Awakening and feeling the
call” begins to be partially demonstrated.
The main character, Vasyl Petrovych
Holoborodko, appears as a simple ordinary poor
person, a citizen of Ukraine, a school teacher. At
the same time, his belonging to precisely
Ukrainian society is emphasized in detail. The
symbols of the state are shown with emphasis,
the actors reproduce the accent, regionally
familiar dialectics.
It should be noted that the fact that at the
beginning of the story, independence is not
inherent in the hero absolutely coincides with the
directing of the mythology of the collective
unconscious. He has many traits of household
helplessness, cowardice, fussiness of the mental
state, he is not married. That is, he is not a
complete mature personality. He is funny and
laughable, which is also identical to the myths in
which the future messiah first appears as a fool.
The discourse “Awakening and feeling the call”
is presented synchronously.
Right at the beginning of the video product, the
viewer sees Evil. In fact, it is corruption at both
the political and administrative levels. But here it
is hypostatized and personified in the person of
the oligarchs. The audience is shown their
infernal qualities – blue skin color, black clothes,
hiddenness from the eyes of other people,
communication in the dark (that is, invisibility).
The theory of the architectonics of the myth
requires a situation of crisis and trouble in which
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the people, the hero’s family and he himself are.
And this is completely reproduced in the series.
The protagonist and his family are immersed in
an atmosphere of trouble. They have limited
living conditions, minimal comfort, and the
character’s low salary is emphasized.
These honest and completely moral persons
suffer because of Evil (corruption) and
dysfunction of social institutions of law, morality
and education.
It is also significant that the cinematographic
product demonstrates other subconscious
narrative symbols. The threat to the hero’s father
is shown here (the fourth minute of the episode).
At the 12th minute, the hero directly articulates
the feeling of the categorical impossibility of
staying in the current conditions.
In the 11th and 14th minutes, the video product
involves an alternative reality in the plot.
Fragments isolated from the course of the plot
are shown, during which meetings of the basic
character with a nameless but powerful person
are shown. Later it turns out that this is the Prime
Minister of Ukraine Yu. I. Chuyko. He claims
that a school teacher becomes the President of
Ukraine in an unpredictable way, surprising for
the viewer.
This is how the functional persona of the
powerful Prophet is introduced, who predicts the
protagonist’s acquisition of leadership. This
character, as in theory, is endowed with the
attributes of calmness, wisdom, prudence,
experience and older age. He shows pictures of a
radically different life, filled with previously
unimaginable benefits, mysterious objects, etc.
It should be noted that the sudden appearance of
an alternative reality from the point of view of
depressing effect on the critical mind of the
viewer is quite justified. Let’s explain this
position separately.
Since viewers understand that such events
absolutely cannot happen in real life, there are
two ways out for them.
First. Observing obvious nonsense from a
rational point of view, a person will lose interest
in the series.
Second. The viewer, intrigued by the appearance
of the magical course of the plot, the popularity
of the talented actor Vol. Zelensky, with the
promise of magical transformations of the
character, will reject the rational level of
perception. In order not to encounter cognitive
dissonance, viewers adjust to the perception of a
fairy tale. After all, only in it can magic,
transformation, prophecies, etc. take place. This
level of reflection is characteristic of any person
since childhood.
In other words, the creators of the series
instrumentally make active critical thinking
irrelevant and redundant. They turn it off.
The collective viewer is invited to accept the
information precisely as a myth. It is suggested
to uncritically believe in the myth and
contemplate passively. This role does not involve
skepticism, self-analysis and criticism, but only
affective subconscious reflection and faith.
According to the above statistics of international
cinema databases, tens of millions of viewers
have chosen this response strategy.
At the end of the first episode, the main
character’s entourage emphasizes that he needs
to run for president. That is, the symbol of the
future movement, the journey, which is still
denied by the protagonist, is additionally
introduced.
Episode 2. It begins with the given already
surreal technique of paradoxical mixing of
realities. The character of Vol. Zelensky doubles
up and is present in two worlds. Obviously, this
is how the discourse of traveling to a magical
world, characteristic of the mythologeme “The
beginning of the journey. Overcoming the first
threshold.”
In an alternative reality, the protagonist is already
beginning to be the President of Ukraine – here
surprising and unusual events begin to happen to
him. But the hero is not the active subject of these
events – they are secretly managed by a character
who performs the function of the Prophet. The
latter guides the hero through these events,
provides patronage. That is, the cultural hero is
shown at the stage of formation.
The storyline of the avatar of V.P. Holoborodko
as a teacher still dominates. It is here that the
manipulative discourses of the mythological
narrative unfold further.
In particular, the threat of losing one’s usual
existence through a prohibition of holding a
current position increases (6-7 minutes of the
episode). This threat is formulated as ostracism.
Expulsion, exile and the starting point for future
metamorphoses are formulated by a functional
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character – an evil aggressive woman (the school
director).
In an alternative reality (8th minute), she
emphasizes that V.P. Holodoborodko should
thank her, as she saw potential in the future
President and gave him the initial “push.”
We should note here that it is always possible to
emphasize the parallel functions of the characters
of “Servants of the People” and the tales of the
peoples of the world. For example, this
headmistress and the entire female team are
completely identical to the evil stepmother and
sisters in the famous Cinderella. But the purpose
of our article does not allow such distractions.
So, the motive of sending the protagonist on a
journey and the beginning of trials in the film is
fully formed.
At the same time, the depressing effect on the
viewer’s critical thinking intensifies. The
alternate reality storyline is evolving. Here the
protagonist is shown as a victor over evil, a
favorite of adults and children, their idol.
According to the folk song (9th minute), the earth
and people should rejoice because the “son of
God” was born. We see that the national folklore
that glorifies Jesus Christ was used in the film to
deify the hero Vol. Zelensky.
The fact of such an attitude does not cause the
protagonist’s outrage. Under the patronage of the
Prophet, who already performs the function of
Assistant, V.P. Holoborodko continues to adapt
as the nation’s leader. So far, the protagonist is
shown as a naive and honest amateur.
At the end of the second episode, the hypostases
of evil are shown. As before, the effects of their
internalization are used – their facelessness,
ability to change appearance. Evil begins to feel
threatened by V.P. Holoborodko, because this
President was suddenly out of control.
From the 18th minute, the plot is rationalized.
The alternate reality is somehow consistent with
the real one. Here it is shown how an average
poor citizen was able to become the President of
Ukraine.
Episode 3. In accordance with our assumption,
the characters of powerful Aides are introduced
into the plot, that combine the signs of wisdom,
spiritual energy, old age, sophistication and the
afterlife. These are the ancient Greek philosopher
Plutarch and historian Herodotus. Coming to the
hero in a dream, they tell him about the need for
a radical change in the state structure in Ukraine.
Again, according to the collective unconscious,
the cultural hero must become a king in the finale
of his metamorphoses. Therefore, it is not
surprising that Plutarch and Herodotus indicate
to the hero that an autocratic system is the best
for Ukraine.
The plot of the episode involves the preparation
of the hero for the inauguration, which is similar
to the stage of Entering the mysterious space
before the Initialization.
The theory of the architectonics of the
subconscious requires a new birth (rebirth). In
the film, it is implemented starting from the 10th
minute of the episode. The hero comes across a
lot of new information, manages to undergo a
rejuvenation procedure in a short time. He is
placed in cardinally new spatial conditions,
including in a closed space, passes through
labyrinths, corridors formed of people
(analogues of caves, bellies, etc.). All this is very
important for a competent influence on the
unconscious of spectators.
The verbal information that accompanies the
video suggests to the viewer the discourse of the
holiness of V. Holoborodko’s hero (end of the
12th and 17th minutes).
Having found himself in the mysterious space,
V.P. Holoborodko is forced to quickly activate
his communication skills, memory, overcome
feelings of fear, and concentrate.
The faceless avatars of Evil begin to feel the
progressive potential of the protagonist, his
ability to defeat them.
Episode 4. The preparation of the Cultural Hero
for the inauguration continues, which takes place
with the help of functional assistants. The latter
introduce the protagonist to numerous trials that
will require concentration, a good memory, the
ability to observe rituals, developed language
skills, etc.
The collective viewer is episodically shown a
female character whose functional load is unclear
at the moment. Emotional contact with her is
currently cool. The main character is divorced
from this woman, but has a child together.
Among the assistants, Abraham Lincoln plays a
special role here, the mystical meeting with him
has a teleological function (20-21 minutes). The
16th president of the USA prompts the
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protagonist to understand his own messianic role
for the Ukrainian people.
At the end of the episode, the inauguration itself
is shown, the subconscious analogue of which is,
of course, the initiation rite. It is interesting that
despite the intense preparation for this ceremony,
the protagonist goes through it concisely, not
pathetically and not difficult.
The author of the article considers the practical
absence of sacred paraphernalia during the
inauguration (initiation), as well as the fact of
past marriage, as signs that manipulators do not
fully master the theory of myth-making. These
are their obvious mistakes. Unlike the previous
manipulative discourses, the initialization of the
Hero in the new space is unconvincing – he does
not pass the test, does not metamorphose, does
not fight evil, etc.
Episode 5. The analyst can see that the mess
continues to progress in the broadcast of the
political myth previously consistent with the
theory. Episodes disjointed in meaning are
demonstrated, the discourses of which would
have been appropriate at earlier stages. The
mother and father equip the Hero for the journey,
providing a magical amulet that is quite
appropriate for the Ukrainian mentality (a pin).
This, as well as advice and guidance, testify to
the reversal of the plot to the discourse of
preparation for the journey.
Then, the protagonist overcomes numerous
temptations and pronounces his own slogan
“Love for work. Honesty. Justice.” This would
be appropriate at the testing stage.
He replaces the previous head of state without a
struggle. The function of the latter is amorphous,
this event itself has no meaning. The former
President is deprived of power and functionally
is not the main avatar of Evil.
The number of functional Aides is growing up to
several dozen. Hero’s father and mother
suddenly stop demonstrating high moral
qualities, greed, middle-classism and the desire
to parasitize on their son’s image take over them.
A scene from the past falls out of context. Verbal
competitions between V.P. Holoborodko and an
old school history teacher, where a high erudition
on the proverbs of the peoples of the world was
demonstrated. This is not appropriate after
initiation, as this is a typical encounter with the
Prophet.
Episode 6. The functional persona of Ernesto
Che Guevara is introduced as another Magical
Aide.
This probably indicates the prolongation of the
broadcast of the mythologeme “The Path of
Trials” (“Initialization”, “The serpent in the
story” etc.).
According to the myth, the character of V.
Zelensky must actually defeat Evil. This has not
happened yet. Only after this event can he be
subconsciously perceived as a messiah. Che
Guevara seeks to cultivate the militant qualities
of V.P. Beardless for the radical eradication of
Evil, however, unsuccessfully.
The hero, repeatedly called “god” and “savior”
does not turn into a powerful hero, remaining an
indecisive coward. He does not dare to confront
aggressively. The maximum he tries to do is
moralizing conversations with secondary
personifications of the antagonist – deputies of
the Verkhovna Rada, and his own family.
Episodes 7, 8. The discourse of the fight against
Evil as a whole receives further development.
Among the Mystical Helpers, the role of a
hitherto secondary character is strengthened.
This is the female avatar of the auxiliary forces –
Bella Rudolphivna. She is fully consistent with
the theory of myth-making and implies signs of
experience, age, wisdom, prophecy, physical
strength, and steadfastness. That is, this multi-
layered character is associated with the forces of
ancestors, chthonic beings and the mother. Her
function includes constant guardianship of the
protagonist. She monitors his appearance, feeds
him, quickly provides him with the necessary
items, knows how to anticipate events, possesses
any information, etc.
Along with this, the transmitters of the myth here
also assume a number of inaccuracies. For
example, the Protagonist sometimes wants to be
a teacher at school. But the main incongruity is
that the still main magical Aide (Yu.I. Chuyko)
suddenly and radically changes his function. He
turns out to be a corruptor, a partner of the
hypostases of Evil.
From this moment on, he is associated with the
image of the archetype of the trickster anti-hero,
the insidious Procrustes, the Serpent. Myth
theory does not categorically provide the space
for such reversals and polar changes of
functional characters.
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Thus, the cultural hero begins an intellectual
confrontation with Evil in the person of his
recent Aide and wins an interim victory. The
selection of the Hero’s associates-helpers in the
further struggle is successful.
On the second plot background, the improvement
of the emotional contact between the Hero and
his ex-wife, who still does not play a clearly
articulated functional load, is presented. She
clearly cannot be a mythological Bride.
Episodes 9-18. The faceless main incarnations of
Evil analyze their defeats and build tactics for
their countermeasures. Their main goal is to
make the Protagonist manageable by finding
compromising facts.
The mythologeme “The Path of Trials” receives
further development. Associates of
V.P. Holoborodko are trying to quickly adapt to
unfamiliar workplaces. It is difficult, but they,
overcoming difficulties, generally demonstrate
energy and morality.
Viewers are shown separate stories about their
resistance to corruption. Aides overcome the
temptations of power, illegal material goods,
money, treasures, which are similar to inherent
in fairy tales. For example, in the Episode 16,
gold bars are shown (15th-18th minutes). New
personalities of mystical advisers appear, for
example, Gaius Julius Caesar, Yaroslav the
Wise, Louis XVI. However, these meetings are
episodic, sudden and do not develop. An
increasingly prominent role among the forces of
Good is played by their already mentioned
projection – Bella Rudolphivna.
The main character’s family continues to
function as latent agents of Evil. The protagonist
begins a struggle at this level as well – including
with his own father and sister. This struggle is
weakly effective. It is expressed only in
moralizing conversations and monologues. The
carried out reforms, which are mentioned in the
17th episode, do not cause significant damage to
hypostatized corruption.
In the fight against this evil, the protagonist
ignores the interests of ordinary citizens,
adopting unpopular laws. An increase in the
retirement age, an increase in the rate of excise
duties, etc. affects the decline in the popularity of
the hero Vol. Zelensky and the risk of public
protests.
Episode 19. The Trickster articulates the will of
the forces of Evil and threatens the main
character with an artificially initiated popular
uprising and removal from office. The hero is
asked to directly meet the antagonists and not
fight them.
The meeting is happening. The oligarchs are
metamorphosing. They already have a
completely human likeness, but are called
mythical whales. In a calm conversation, they
unsuccessfully offer a bribe to the President.
No aggressive actions or other confrontations
take place.
At the end of the episode, the viewer is offered a
new functional female character – Hanna
Mykhailivna. Obviously, she personifies the
mythical Ideal Woman (“Bride”) and combines
the signs of youth, health, morality, modesty,
self-sufficiency, mystery, etc.
It should be assumed that from this moment
(21th-23th minutes) the series will introduce the
mythologeme of Union with the ideal woman
with appropriate discourses. Sympathy develops
between the woman and the protagonist. Their
meeting and conversation are enriched by a
magical entourage – they take place at night,
alone and are a secret. The female functional
tests the Hero. The discourse of riddles, typical
for a myth, is introduced. The girl gives a choice
of three things. The main character rejects the
excessive one (alcohol). She then emphasizes the
importance of the mission of the character of
Vol. Zelensky for the people.
From the point of view of the impact on the
collective unconscious of the viewer, it is also
interesting that the parting is combined with
Beauty entering a closed space. This is the same
as the Bride being in a tower, a crystal coffin, a
prison, sleeping, etc. Theoretically, the
protagonist will have to symbolically liberate
her.
Episodes 20, 21. The character “Perfect
Woman” radically changes the function. She
appears as an agent of Evil, seeks to compromise
(seduce) the main character. At the same time,
the girl’s magical metamorphosis takes place.
They oscillate on a continuum between the
extremes of “virgin” – “harlot” or “Bride” –
“Witch.”
A powerful attack is made on the virtues of the
Hero through the named female functional. The
attack is successful. The Hero has artificially
initiated lust. The girl gets partial (magical)
power over his psyche, due to which he is unable
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to effectively fight against Evil, which is
corruption. Obviously, here the viewer sees the
culmination of the “Initialization” mythologeme.
As in the myths of the peoples of the world, the
Aide comes to the aid of the protagonist. Bella
Rudolphivna suddenly finds herself in the right
places and interferes with the magic of seduction.
But to bring mental balance, the efforts of the
main Aide are not enough. A second-in-
command, namely the ex-wife of
V.P. Holoborodko, quickly comes to the rescue.
She seeks to restore his moral and mental
qualities by activating parental feelings and
responsibilities. The joint efforts of the
Protagonist and his Aides, including secondary
ones, are enough to counteract. The seductress
fails.
The emphasis on the mysticism of the Hero’s
struggle is intensified in his conversation with his
son. Oligarchs are called orcs here, the need to
acquire “super-power” is discussed.
Functionally, the son is a projection of the
madness and rebelliousness of the main character
himself – this is said, in particular, in the 3rd
minute of the 21st episode. In the conversation, it
is decided that the Hero will receive supernatural
qualities for fighting from his son – that is, he will
have them from his own rebelliousness.
Episodes 22, 23. After unsuccessful attempts to
make V.P. Holoborodko controllable, the
oligarchs plan to eliminate him physically. Later,
during a television report on the fight against
corruption, the Protagonist publicly defeats a
secondary projection of Evil, namely the
Trickster character. At the same time, there are
dynamic magical transformations of the
television studio, the appearance of all the
characters and, especially, the Evil ones – until
they lose their human form.
After the climactic scene of the exposure of
Y.I. Chuyko, which lasts about 20 seconds (15th
minute), the hero of V. Zelensky receives
congratulations from those present in the studio.
This is how the discourse of victory over Evil
and, which is no less valuable, over death,
because his killing has managed to be prevented,
is implemented. Later, the feeling of victory will
be strengthened by congratulations and thanks
from the father. That is, the mythologeme of
freeing relatives from Evil and reconciliation
with the father is also indirectly implemented.
At the same time, the main antagonistic
hypostases have not been overcome. The scene of
their conversation at the end of the film,
accompanied by flames and hints of cannibalism,
demonstrates wealth and a sense of impunity.
The mythologeme “Union with the ideal woman”
is also completed. The young girl symbolically
frees herself from Evil and is currently not a
functional element of it. This female character is
ambiguous, but now she is purified and shown in
a positive context.
Simultaneously with this, the discourse “Return
to the world of people” is also implemented. At
the end of the film, the protagonist is shown in a
homely family atmosphere and introduces the
Bride to her parents. This mythologeme is
reinforced by the fact that two of Hero’s
henchmen also get their brides synchronously
with him.
In the table speech, the Protagonist claims that it
is the grouping of the family together that is
especially valuable, means happiness, and he is
ready for such a life forever. Presumably, this is
how the shown acquisition of the spiritual
integrity of the Hero’s personality is performed
at the end of the myth.
We should note that the series contains not only
a mythological video series, but also oral
agitation.
In the song that plays at the end of the last
episode, it is claimed that “he will soon be
elected”, that “he”, the character of Volodymyr
Zelensky, is the one whom “the people want”,
“the servant of the people”. As is known, an
artificially created real political party has a
similar name. And the actor of the comedy genre
Vol. Zelensky became the President of Ukraine
not only on the screen, but in actual reality.
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Table 1.
Implementation of the discourses of the mythological story about the “Servant of the people” in the episodes
of the video product.
Order of
mythologemes
Name of the narrative mythologeme
Implementation of a
mythologeme in episodes.
1
Appearance of the character
Episode 1,7
2
Awakening and feeling the call
Episode 1, 2, 3
3
Refusal of the call
Episode 1
4
Re-encountering with the Patrons
Episode 3, 4
5
The beginning of the journey and overcoming the first
threshold
Episode 2, 3
6
Entering the mysterious space
Episode 2, 3
7
Initialization
Episode 2, 4, 6, 9-23
8
Union with the ideal woman
Episode 19, 23
9
Receipt of reward
10
Magical escape
11
Return to the world of people
Episode 23
Conclusion
Based on the purpose of the research and the
working hypothesis, we can formulate the
following conclusions.
1. The comparative analysis of the
philosophical vision of the collective
unconscious myth about the cultural hero
and the heritage of cultural studies about the
sacred initiation practices of the ancestors
turned out to be fruitful. This analysis made
it possible to combine numerous common
positions of philosophers and culturologists
and to synthesize an algorithm for unfolding
a mythological narrative about an
outstanding and extraordinary personality.
This unconscious inherited story can be
conditionally divided into eleven
mythologemes-discourses. They show the
gradual evolution of a person – from a
typical profane to a sacred, expected and
unconditional leader.
2. A detailed content-analytic study of the
video product, after the broadcast of which
the popularity of Volodymyr Zelensky
increased rapidly, confirmed the working
hypothesis. The series “Servant of the
People” objectively and undeniably contains
patterns, symbols and discourses inherent in
the myth of the cultural hero. The sequence
of unfolding of the plots also corresponds to
the architecture of the mythological
narrative. All basic discourses in the series
are reflected (see Table 1).
3. The series “Servant of the People” not only
structurally, in terms of form, but also
essentially, in terms of content, is nothing
more than a sprawling mythological
narrative. The creators of this video product
actively use means of suppressing the
critical mind of the viewer and accustoming
them to believe in a fairy tale plot. Tuning
the psyche of the mass of adults precisely for
the consumption of a magical story takes
place through the demonstration of a
doubled reality. A powerful influence on the
subconscious is also carried out by
repeatedly demonstrating symbols that are
inherent in chthonic beings, otherworldly
entities, supernatural forces, etc.
4. The classification of this mythological
narrative undoubtedly refers it to heroic
myths. It does not belong to any of the other
categories (etiological, cosmogonic,
totemic, eschatological ones etc.) according
to the plot of the story. This type of myth
pursues only one specific goal, namely the
heroization of the protagonist. The narrative,
by taking a profane person through a typical
evolution, eventually forms the image of a
sacred persona, a hero, a leader, and a
legitimate ruler. Since the persona of the
hero was created by the acting skills of
Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky, the
expected sacralized President of Ukraine
after the broadcast of the series is associated
with him. The epithets “God”, “son of God”,
“Savior”, etc. in the series are addressed to
V.P. Holoborodko, and in reality to
V.O. Zelensky.
5. Victory of V.O. Zelensky’s success in the
elections is not the result of his political or
organizational skills. It is also not the result
of his pre-election activities, such as trips to
the regions, speeches at rallies, traditional
debates, etc. The rapid increase in his rating
occurred immediately after the broadcast of
the highlighted and analyzed myth. So, the
cause-and-effect relationship seems quite
obvious. The successful instrumental
influence on the mass subconscious
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logically imprinted the political belief that
film actor Volodymyr Zelensky is a messiah,
a pre-loved and expected leader. Therefore,
the series “Servant of the People” is a means
of broadcasting an artificial political heroic
myth. The successful application of mass
consciousness manipulation technology can
be considered a fact.
6. Along with this, it is necessary to draw a
conclusion regarding a number of mistakes
and improprieties committed by the creators
of the campaign series. As can be seen from
Table 1, two stages of the narrative were
ignored and not supported by the
corresponding mythologemes. The
protagonist himself did not undergo any
metamorphosis, a number of characters
changed their function polarly, the number
of characters of supernatural Aides and
Patrons increased unnecessarily, the main
personifications of Evil were not defeated,
the story was not completed. On the one
hand, this is justified commercially, because
it gives the opportunity to continue the
popular series. But from a theoretical point
of view, it is impossible to change the
monomyth about the cultural hero imprinted
in the subconscious by the will of the
filmmakers. A monomyth cannot be
changed, understated or told episodically.
Any inconsistency in the transmission of the
narrative, according to the classics, will lead
to a negative consequence.
7. Therefore, the unfinished manipulative
influence on the subconscious of the masses
probably does not allow to definitively
identify the real person of V.O. Zelensky
with his character. Therefore, the effect of
manipulative sacralization, heroization of
his person will not be permanent, although it
had the necessary effect for winning the
elections. The imperfect myth only
temporarily raised his electoral rating to the
maximum possible. The euphoric perception
of him as a flawless leader who will
magically bring some actual benefits to
everyone has its natural limitations. Having
maintained his own popularity for some time
thanks to the social inertia of mass opinion,
V.O. Zelensky will be forced to demonstrate
his competence in all areas of political skill
again and again in order to maintain the
rating.
Thus, the proof of the hypothesis about the
initially manipulative nature of the “Servant of
the People” series indicates the strengthening of
populist tendencies as a natural moment of the
process of democratization of Ukrainian society.
However, Russia’s full-scale armed aggression
significantly corrected the situation. It would be
difficult to predict the ups and downs of the
presidential rating if the President, for example,
decided not to stay in his post in the most critical
initial period of the war, when there was a real
threat to his life. The war united the Ukrainian
nation, the vast majority of political parties
stopped the populist struggle for spheres of
influence in the parliament, and expressed rather
restrained slogans aimed at uniting all levels of
power for the common victory over the invader.
What is happening in Ukraine after February 24,
2022 can be described by the concept of “uniting
around the flag” (Kuijpers, 2019). It is fair to say,
though, that the principled and strong-willed
position of Vol. Zelensky in the defense of
Ukraine gives him the moral right to hold this
flag with dignity. At the same time, it can be
predicted that in the future it may become the
subject of secondary heroization of this character
as an archetypal fighter, warrior, martyr, etc.
However, this political myth-making is the
subject of another study.
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