Authors

Håvard Bækken¹;  ¹ Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS), Norway

Discussion

The suggested paper will explore representations of identity and war within the occupied territories of Ukraine in the context of a developing policy of militarized patriotism. The paper will pay particular attention to military patriotic clubs (MPCs),  an important but sometimes forgotten group of actors that pro-Russian factions use for mobilizing youth for both ideological and military purposes. By means of online sources, the study will examine and compare the activities of MPCs in different regions throughout occupied Ukraine – looking to how they engage youth in military training as well as different symbolic policies related to both regional and civilizational discourses. The study will shed light on the occupation regimes’ long-term ambitions and means of shaping youth identity, and to what degree and in what ways they use the MPCs for purposes of mobilization.