HEROISM BEYOND GENDER: THE TRANSFORMATION OF MILITARY IDENTITIES AND PRACTICES OF HEROIZATION IN CONTEMPORARY UKRAINE

Abstract

Abstract. This article presents the results of a study on the gender aspects of heroism in the 2014–2026 Russian-Ukrainian war. The starting point for the study was a departure from the traditional patriarchal perspective, which focused primarily on acts of violence against women, viewing them as passive victims of war rather than active participants in the resistance. The analysis is based on an interdisciplinary approach grounded in three main strands: historical-anthropological, socio-legal, and existential-philosophical, combined with classical gender studies and the latest reflections of women who directly participated in the war. The historical-anthropological dimension of the study of gender issues enabled us to trace the continuity of “female invisibility” across history and to understand how the current experience of female defenders challenges stereotypical notions of women as purely “objects of protection.” The socio-legal aspect of the outlined problem provided a factual basis for analyzing institutional changes in the military, where the struggle for combat roles has become a form of emancipation through the professionalization of heroism, and also allowed for the presentation of arguments in defense of women’s right to be “heroines” at the legislative level. Existential-philosophical reflection allows us to interpret heroism not as a spectacular act of self-sacrifice, but as a daily “ethic of resilience” that blurs the boundaries between frontline feats and volunteer service, through a transition from passivity to agency, where the boundaries between “male” and “female” roles in war are blurred. In this context, the concept of “diffuse heroism” is defined as a norm of behavior for many, a gender-neutral, collective state of the nation during times of historical trials. The need for commemoration is emphasized, which must reflect women’s real contribution to victory, a matter not merely of justice, but an act of final breaking with the imperial, patriarchal past.
It is noted that the heroization of women in the Russian-Ukrainian war represents a profound anthropological shift, as Ukraine today demonstrates to the world a new model of inclusive heroism, where the right to defend the Motherland and the recognition of heroic deeds are inalienable personal rights, regardless of gender, for war makes people of any gender the primary creators of history.