ANATOMY OF PROPAGANDA: TOP 3 EVENTS OF THE WEEK
26/06/2023, 09:00
The fast "March of Justice" of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) mercenaries in Russia has become a real shock for propaganda, which is just in the middle of a large-scale public campaign demonstrating the power of the Russian army with Putin’s direct involvement.
Vladimir Putin keeps actively positioning himself as the supreme commander-in-chief. He has met with graduates of military academies in the St. George's Hall of the Kremlin Palace, where he tried to demonstrate awareness of the situation at the frontline again. The parade of identical relations continued at the meeting of the Russian Security Council, chaired by Putin. Russians were systematically presented with the message that the situation of the military conflict is optimistic, the president actively participates in managing the troops, and new units and equipment are constantly strengthening the army itself.
The critical challenge for the state propaganda machine last week was the armed démarche of Evgeny Prigozhin's associates. The Wagner PMC, which Russian media and military correspondents had long praised as the most combat-capable unit, instantly turned into a threat to Russian statehood. After a long night of uncertainty, Putin has called the action of an armed rebellion a subject to destruction and its organizers as traitors. This logic has dictated further messages from federal media and statements from officials. The conflict resolution was more catastrophic for the authorities' image – the Kremlin was forced to abandon its threats, close criminal cases, and "forgive" the participants of the failed rebellion.
State propaganda tries to justify and overcome Russia's international isolation by generating new simulacra – this time the Friendship Games idea has been discussed. Announced at the panel of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum "Sovereignty in Sports," the initiative to hold Friendship Games in September 2024 is presented by Russian media as a de facto permanent alternative to the Olympic Games.
