Russophobia as a Communicative Strategy

Abstract

The paper discusses the issue of studying the RUSSOPHOBIA concept from the perspective of its role in modern communication. The aim of the research is to determine the specifics of the linguocultural content and cognitive features of the RUSSOPHOBIA concept in the modern media discourse. The paper describes the cognitive meanings of the concept in Russian and English on the basis of linguistic analysis of the contexts of modern mass media. The study of linguistic ways of representing this concept shows that its functioning is an integral means and tool of the informational communicative strategy of confrontational manipulation, the content of which is defamation, demonisation, creation of negative evaluation, fake, violence, aggression, conflict. Scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the RUSSOPHOBIA concept is presented as an important component of a single communicative strategy of information pressure implemented in the process of ideological counteraction, forming an emotionally negative attitude towards Russians and Russian culture as a whole. As a result of the research, it has been found that the nucleus of the cognitive field of the RUSSOPHOBIA concept is formed by features of denigration, demonisation and weakening of Russian civilisation as a whole.