Critical Discourse Analysis of Memocratic Ideology in Putin’s Interviews about Russian Aggression in Georgia and Ukraine

Abstract

This study’s objective is to examine how Vladimir Putin utilizes collective memory in his communication to transform Russia into a memocracy ‒ a regime where history is instrumentalized to serve autocratic leadership ‒ and justifies Russia’s aggressive military actions toward neighboring states through manipulative narratives constructed around the Russian imperial and Soviet past. This article illustrates how memocratic ideology – a system of beliefs centered around memory as a foundation of national identity – is weaponized against Georgia and Ukraine to return them into Russia’s “historical” sphere of influence. Method. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) and discourse-historical analysis (DHA) of Vladimir Putin’s 2008 interview with CNN host Matthew Chance and 2024 interview with Tucker Carlson reveal patterns of this ideology. This ideological framework bridges the past and present through specific historical myths – such as the “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir), the “brotherhood of nations,” and the West/NATO as a threat to Russia – which are used to legitimize violence against Georgian and Ukrainian statehood. Results. The analysis demonstrates how Putin constructs argumentation around topoi of historical unity, historical pride, liberation and protection, security and self-defense, and international law and power. The application of CDA and DHA approaches demonstrates how Putin discursively constructs an “Us vs. Them” opposition, portraying Russia as a peaceful and just state provoked into responding to “external threats” from the Ukrainian and Georgian governments and their Western allies. Through the discourse analysis of linguistic choices, syntactic structures, and rhetorical devices, this article provides evidence of the reinforcement of memocratic ideology intertwined within the Kremlin’s manipulative narratives targeted at international audiences.