Regional media as a source of russian military propaganda in Ukraine in times of the World War I

The goal of the research is to analyze the regional media outlets, which supported Russian military propaganda throughout the Ukrainian governorates in times of the World War I, to identify the propaganda rhetoric common topics and methods, including regional peculiarities of the military campaign. Methodological background of the research is the principles of historicism and objectivity. The author used the comparative-historical method, including the mass media psychology method, in particular, methods of public communications, massification, mindset influence. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the complex approach to analyzing the papers issued in Ukrainian governorates, and their role as a source of military propaganda. The work identifies their common features, including the regional peculiarities of the military campaign supported by the Ukrainian media. Conclusions. The newspapers both provided information about the course of military operations and served as the ‘mufflers’ of the Russian military propaganda, aimed at supporting the interests of the Russian Empire and justification of its participation in the war. The media printed in Ukrainian governorates often copied the information from the leading Russian media, thus, taking over their rhetoric. Simultaneously, there were some regional peculiarities of the military propaganda. The media of the Ukrainian governorates brought up subjects of national and religious minorities, widely represented in the region. The topic of German settlers was really acute, which was negatively highlighted by the media. The press imposed the existing stereotype of treating them as ‘enemies from within’, mostly regarding the Germans, by blaming them and the members of the Protestant communities in spying and political unreliability. Such approach further led to numerous consequences: raise of xenophobic attitudes and inciting religious enmity. The military narrative mostly embraced war as a ‘defensive’ and ‘liberating’ phenomenon. By manipulating the national and religious beliefs the propaganda blurred the differencies between the Ukrainians and the Russians, trying to establish the idea of the single ‘Russian’ nation.