Propaganda and semantic narratives of the Moscow Patriarchate as a weapon in the war against Ukraine

Abstract

.  The article examines the role of the Moscow Patriarchate as an ideological tool of the Russian Federation's hybrid war against Ukraine. The methodological basis of the study is an interdisciplinary approach that combines elements of political analysis, discourse studies, media studies and security studies. Attention is focused on modern theories of hybrid aggression, semantic warfare and cognitive influence, which allows us to trace the depth of penetration of pro-Russian religious ideologemes into the public consciousness.

It is established that the Moscow Patriarchate not only reproduces the narratives of the ‘Russian world’ but also actively promotes their emotional implementation through channels of religious communication, media, literature and educational activities. Particular attention is paid to the manipulation of the myth of ‘one nation’, the concept of ‘holy struggle’ and the delegitimisation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The author analyses the phenomenon of the war of meaning as a long-term form of cognitive influence aimed not only at temporary disorientation, but also at strategic reprogramming of the values of society. Religious propaganda acts through emotions, fear, and historical myth-making, replacing objective knowledge with sacralised clichés.

The article highlights the process of weakening the position of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine after 2014, which was the result of decolonisation trends, the transition of communities to the OCU, public support for de-Russification and the development of critical thinking. It is emphasised that religious identity in the modern Ukrainian context is increasingly identified with national security and cultural sovereignty.

It is concluded that the formation of critical thinking skills and the introduction of systemic media education are key tools to counteract the Russian war of meaning. The author substantiates the need for intersectoral cooperation between the state, education, media and civil society to strengthen the information immunity of society and preserve Ukrainian identity in the context of information aggression.