For the Russian government, all means seem good to convince its population of the merits of its war in Ukraine. So, to capture the attention of young people, the authorities are distributing tens of thousands of comics glorifying the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to BCC, a British news channel, these distributions, at the initiative of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education, began in April in schools in Russia and the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. The objective being that, ultimately, these comics will be provided to all schools under Russian control. They were written by Oleg Roy, a prominent Russian children’s author and a staunch supporter of the war in Ukraine.
Concretely, these comics are available in 22 short stories which retrace the journey of Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian front, most of whom were decorated for their acts of “bravery”. Still according to the BBC, which had access to these works, Russian rhetoric, which consists of justifying its war by the fact of having prevented a “genocide” planned by the Kiev authorities in eastern Ukraine and supported by NATO countries, is widely adopted. “Out of hatred for Russia, the West is arming its neo-Nazi puppies in occupied kyiv,” we can also read in one of the books.
Real Russian personalities
The stories do not hesitate to highlight real Russian personalities. Among the protagonists, for example, is Colonel General Azatbek Omurbekov, commander of the unit responsible for the murder of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022. The comic describes him as a “real man”, and claims that his troops did proof of “humanity” during the first months of the war in Ukraine.
Already in 2023, another series of 23 comics on the theme of war was published by military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, who is also part of the Russian Presidential Council on the War in Ukraine. Translated into English, Chinese and Arabic, they praised the courage and determination of Russian soldiers, while derogatory terms were used to describe Ukrainian soldiers. This series was supported by the Russian authorities, notably – again – the Ministry of Defense. Late last year, another series of comics about the war in Ukraine highlighted the exploits of the Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group and its late founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, although this series does not appear to have benefited from official support.
On the Ukrainian side, more realistic comics
On the other side of the front line, many Ukrainian comics have also been produced since the start of the war. Shaped largely by artists and not personalities close to a power adept at propaganda, they are more realistic. Among the most famous, that of Igort, Italian screenwriter, designer and colorist, raised in Russian culture and for a time resident in Ukraine. His work, Diary of an invasionattempts to tell the story of war from the point of view of those who experience it.
In addition, NGOs like Solidarité International also called on cartoonists to report on the situation on the spot. On the occasion of the second anniversary of the invasion in Ukraine, in February 2024, the board by the artist Fabien Toulmé was published in the newspapers The world, Release, International mail And Society. It retraced the journey of Ukrainians met on the ground, to give an overview of the reality of war for the civilians who suffer it.
“Comics are no longer just an element of pop culture, they are also eminently political, contributing to the information war,” explained a short note from the University of Baselin Switzerland, interested in the phenomenon.