CIVIC CULTURE OF UKRAINIAN SOCIETY IN WARTIME: PROSPECTS AND THREATS

Abstract

The civic culture of Ukrainian society in the context of war is marked by numerous influences. This, in turn, renews transformational processes in the political consciousness of Ukrainian citizens and raises a number of important questions regarding the potential for integration and solidarity of Ukrainian society in the process of a long-term war. The purpose of the study is to identify and analyze the prospects for the development of civic culture in Ukrainian society in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Since the very beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian society has demonstrated a high level of solidarity and resilience. The previous experience of intensive civic participation (The Orange Revolution, Euromaidan), which influenced the evolution of the political culture of Ukrainian society, does not lose its relevance in the conditions of war. The key values and orientations in the structure of the civic culture of Ukrainian society remain unchanged – civil freedom, democracy, the rule of law, civil society, European integration. However, in addition to positive trends, certain challenges and threats are also emerging. The key challenge to the civic culture of Ukrainian society is, undoubtedly, the existential threat. Since the Russo-Ukrainian war should be interpreted not only as a war for territories, but also as a war for identity and values, in this case there is a confrontation between democracy and autocracy. That is why defeat in the war for Ukraine will mean not only the loss of territories, but also the collapse of democracy and the mechanisms of civic participation associated with it. In addition, the existential threat is also linked with the postponement of the electoral process, which is impossible in conditions of martial law in terms of ensuring the security of citizens. The prolonged absence of elections influences the quality of the political system, which, in turn, negatively affects the civic culture of society. Another important threat to civic culture in Ukraine is populism – rhetoric that appeals to the broad masses of society with the offer of easy and quick solutions to complex issues. Even in peacetime, populism is a rather threatening trend in the development of modern democratic societies, and in times of war the risks associated with it increase even more. Populist rhetoric can negatively affect the value structure of civil society, weakening its defense capabilities. Under such circumstances, the civic culture of a society at war should be no less an object of care than the military-industrial complex. Thus, the civic culture of Ukrainian society in conditions of military confrontation faces a number of challenges and threats that must be responded immediately in order to prevent a decrease in the level of resistance to the aggressor, as well as to preserve key values and orientations that will make the existence of Ukrainian democracy possible in the future.