HYBRIDIZATION OF FEMALE ARCHETYPES IN THE SPACE OF TERRITORIAL MILITARY IDENTITY AS A FORM OF VISUAL SOFT RESISTANCE

Abstract

This article explores the archetypal representation of female images in contemporary Ukrainian war visual culture. The study aims to identify dominant archetypes, mechanisms of their hybridization, and semantic transformations in visual representations dedicated to Ukrainian cities in the context of the full-scale war. The theoretical foundation is based on C. Jung’s analytical psychology, adapted to methods of visual and iconographic analysis. The research develops an original multi-level system of archetypal coding that includes core archetypes – Great Mother, Kora (Maiden), Amazon, and Anima – as well as their hybrid combinations, types of transformation, and spatial context. This methodological framework enables qualitative analysis of visual material by coding dominant, secondary, and additional archetypal components. Hybridization of archetypes is examined through the series "Female Faces of War" by N. Leshchenko. Results reveal the dominance of hybrid categories, particularly the AN archetype (introspective warrior), representing a new cultural model of female subjectivity combining combat action, individuality, and internal reflection. Special attention is given to the MA category (mother-warrior) as a symbol of national defense, KA as a representation of experienced trauma and acquired agency, MN as a bearer of cultural memory and historical continuity, and KN as a visualization of traumatized innocence. It is established that under wartime conditions archetypal images often transcend binary models and demonstrate hybridization with a strengthened influence of the Amazon archetype. The study’s scientific novelty lies in developing an original archetypal coding method for analyzing war visual culture and identifying new models of female identity forming within the Ukrainian cultural space during war.