The semantic field of the concept of "sovereignty" in the discourse of the President of the Russian Federation in the context of international tension (2022-2023)

The article suggests a transformation of the discursive practices of Russian government after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. The research aims to identify the boundaries of the semantic field of the concept of "sovereignty" in the discourse of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, whose texts are the quintessence of the official discourse of state power. The object of the research is the semantic field of the concept of "sovereignty" in the discourse of the President of the Russian Federation. The subject of the study is the contextual and predicative characteristics of the specified concept. The empirical basis of the study is V.V. Putin's public speeches mentioning the concept of "sovereignty", carried out in the period from February 21, 2022 (recognition of the DPR, LPR) to December 8, 2023. (the beginning of the presidential election campaign). The methodological basis of the research is the cognitive-discursive approach developed in the works of Russian researchers S.P. Potseluev, M.S. Konstantinov, and others. The research method is qualitative directed content analysis, which includes studies of contexts and predicates of the concept of "sovereignty". The main conclusion of the study is the justification of the nuclear status of the concept of "sovereignty" for the ideological construct of the president. The verbal symbol in V.V. Putin's discourse is an empty sign, filled with content depending on the needs of the situation. Fragmentation of the semantic field through predicate assignment has led to the emergence of specific concepts classified for a number of reasons: by sphere of implementation (technological, value, cultural, etc.), by carrier subject (state, national), by completeness of implementation (full, partial, fragmentary, etc.). The potential for expanding the semantic field is noted, using other predicates of the concept of "sovereignty". The novelty of the research results lies in the use of semiotic tools in a comprehensive analysis of the semantic field of the concept of "sovereignty" in the discourse of Russian President Vladimir Putin.