Combat Witches: Women’s Resilience in War-Torn Ukraine

This lecture traces the transformation of public discourse on witchcraft and attitudes toward magical practices as a part of women’s subculture in Ukrainian society in the context of the current war. The analysis includes varied source materials (visual art, internet memes, poetry, music videos, feature movies, clothing design, and handicrafts) that represent contemporary ideas about witches and witchcraft, as well as related media and social media, and personal testimonies of women (soldiers, combat medics, and army volunteers) who have adopted the identity of a “combat witch.” Dr. Kis will show how the public perception of witchcraft as a cultural phenomenon and gendered practice changed from predominantly negative (in traditional Ukrainian culture) to predominantly positive (in contemporary public discourse), and how witchcraft is perceived in public discourse as a specifically female resource that Ukrainian women can use to defend their families and as a weapon against the enemy. The study covers the period of the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2014-2024, with special attention to the period of full-scale Russian aggression from February 24, 2022 to the present.