Panforova M. O. Problematisation of Ukrainian national identity in Ukrainian real person fanfiction. – Qualification scientific work submitted as a manuscript.
PhD thesis to obtain the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Programme Subject Area 035 «Philology» (03 – Humanities). – National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv, 2026.
This work is about studying Ukrainian national identity in how it is represented in Ukrainian real person fanfiction. In this dissertation, identity is a process that involves frequent changes and corrections to the narrative of the self. I aim to show this process through the space of fan culture.
Fanfiction is a relatively young literary form that attracted the attention of Ukrainian researchers only recently. Despite the stigma surrounding fanfiction about real people, a closer examination of this segment could be beneficial for Ukrainian literature studies. This work is a first attempt at systematic research into the Ukrainian fanfiction phenomenon, particularly its nature, problems, and functions in the context of the Ukrainian youth’s self-identification.
After the start of the full-scale invasion February of 2022, the number of Ukrainian works on Archive of Our Own, the biggest contemporary fanfiction site, grew significantly. In this first wave of fanfics, those most noticeable dealt with contemporary politicians. Of course, this phenomenon also has its predecessors, the most influential of which was the so-called petliurchenky trend and the wider fandom surrounding the Ukrainian revolution.
Thus, the subject of this study is Ukrainophone fanfiction, in particular those texts about the Ukrainian revolution and those about contemporary politicians. The purpose of this study is to examine Ukrainian national autoimage and the ways of conveying Ukrainian national identity within Ukrainian fan culture.
This study relies most heavily on the interdisciplinary approach of fan studies (as represented by the works of H. Jenkins, M. Hills, K. Busse, and J. M. Fathallah). It also uses reader-response criticism, as established by S. Fish, and cultural memory studies, as interpreted by A. Assman, P. Nora, and B. Szacka. The definition of national identity within this dissertation is based on the works of S. Hall, B. Anderson, A. Smith, and M. Guibernau. Apart from that, the foundational works about the formation of Ukrainian identity as a complex historical process (O. Hnatiuk, Y. Hrytsak, H. Kasianov, M. Riabchuk) are used to establish the framework.
The first chapter lays down the theoretical framework of this study. The main terminology of this work is defined here, particularly fanfiction. Canon is defined as a source for fanfiction. When it comes to RPF fanfiction, the canon consists of atomized bits of information that form the public life of a given celebrity. Community is always involved in canon construction, but this process becomes more apparent in RPF fandoms. At the end of the chapter, the main terms that concern identity and its interaction with fan spaces are described. National identity in particular relies not only on the nation-state’s influence but also on an array of symbols in the realms of culture, geography, history, etc.
The second chapter deals with Ukrainian historical RPF about the Ukrainian revolution. The character of S. Petliura was usually romanticized. The traits of a leader and a revolutionary were elevated, while physical descriptions relied on feminized “gentle features.” Vynnychenko’s physical features were highlighted less often, and his main character trait was being a writer. Politically, S. Petliura was usually portrayed as being in the right, although disdain for V. Vynnychenko appeared only in the works where he plays the role of a romantic rival to the main pairing. Ukrainian identity in these works is closely connected with queer identity.
The third chapter covers fanfics about Ukrainian politicians. The war plays a key role in these works, even though it is usually expressed through parapolemics, not explicit depictions of violence. The main emphasis falls on the emotional burdens of war. Those feeling often push the development of the main romantic storyline. This implies this writing was therapeutic for the authors. There is a tendency for minimizing political conflicts, which makes Ukraine seem especially united.
There is a close interaction between Ukrainian fanfiction and its authors’ national identity. In both the Ukrainian revolution and the current political fandoms, queer identity is interconnected with Ukrainian identity. It is usually contrasted with homophobic Russian/Soviet tradition. Further study of Ukrainian fanfiction has many prospects.
Key words: identity, Ukrainian identity, Ukrainian literature, fanfiction, fan studies, popular literature, intertextuality, interpretation, memory, War in literature, informational environment, motifs, values, character, fear.
