RITUALIZED TEXTS OF THE UKRAINIAN MARINE CORPS AS CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF FOLKLORIC HEROISM

Abstract

Ritualized texts of the Ukrainian Marine Corps – particularly oaths, slogans, and commemorations of fallen comrades as contemporary forms of folkloric heroism – play a critical role in shaping and transmitting values and norms within the military environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role these texts play in fostering collective identity and patriotism among the Ukrainian marines. The article examines a corpus of ritualized texts as a set of folkloric heroic forms that not only preserve the continuity of military traditions but also reflect the new challenges and realities of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It considers the impact of these texts on strengthening combat morale, as well as on cultivating an enduring motivation and commitment to the ideals of freedom, resilience, and independence. By applying textual analysis and interpretive methods to these ritualized texts, the study explores their structural and semantic characteristics within the context of modern military culture. A comparative analysis with similar texts from other countries’ armed forces further reveals both unique features and common traditions. The results indicate that ritualized texts such as the oath, slogans, and the commemoration of the fallen play a key role in shaping the military ethics and moral code of the Ukrainian marines. They foster the enrooting of traditional values while simultaneously adapting to the new conditions of contemporary warfare. These texts thus emerge as a significant cultural phenomenon, merging tradition and modernity, and forging a strong intergenerational bond among the Ukrainian warriors.