"The Female / Not Female Face of War" (Based on the Book by Svtlana Aleksievych "The War Does Not Have a Female Face")

Abstract

In the information space of modern Ukraine, in fact, since the first months of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022 on the territory of the country, the concept of "female face of war" has been established in the characterization of this war. Nobel laureate S. Aleksievich's book "The War Does Not Have a Female Face is important for conducting a comparative analysis of the experiences of women front-line soldiers during the Second World War and the current Ukrainian-Russian wars. The idea of the book does not contradict the understanding of war as "female", which is highlighted in the text of this intelligence. Soviet historians actually did not take into account the testimonies of women front-line soldiers, which is why the war with German fascism did not have a "female face". It did not appear in the stories of the combatants. It is in this sense that the title of Svitlana Aleksievich's book "The War Does Not Have a Female Face" should be interpreted. The purpose of this intelligence is to conduct an analysis of what happens to women in war and whether there are gender specifics in such events. Within the framework of the announced task, the issue of the "female/non-female face" of war is also resolved. The experience accumulated by the Ukrainian society in the fight against the Russian aggressor during the previous 8 years of the hybrid war and during the period of the full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine from February 24, 2022, showed that this war also has a "female face". The gender specificity of experiencing war exists; however, it is not of decisive importance for practical actions in the struggle for freedom and independence. Nevertheless, the study of all the characteristics of this war is an indispensable condition for the creation of a coherent scientifically based picture of this historical event and its truthful coverage. Such intelligence is also important for assessing the prospects of female leadership in Ukraine, in particular, the military.