Mythological Currents in the War in Ukraine : An Interview‑Based Study of Soldiers’ Lived Religion

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores how soldiers participating in the war in Ukraine express religious beliefs and practices in wartime. The study is based on qualitative interviews with six soldiers, consisting of five Ukrainian soldiers and one Swedish volunteer serving in Ukraine, as well as an analysis of audiovisual material documenting a burial ritual performed by the Azov Brigade. Drawing on the perspective of lived religion, the study examines how soldiers use symbols, objects, and rituals while serving in the Ukrainian military. Items such as Bibles, dolls, tattoos, and rings are described as important sources of emotional support, protection, and meaning. The findings indicate that religious life among the interviewed soldiers often involves a blending of Christian beliefs with mythological elements, resulting in personal, situational, and syncretic expressions of faith. In addition to the interview narratives, the study analyzes a publicly available video of the Azov Brigade’s burial ritual, Dnia Mertvykh (Day of the Dead), as an example of new Pagan religious expressions forming in the war, using Catherine Bell’s theory of ritualization as an analytical framework. Read together, the interview material and the ritual analysis suggest that the Azov Brigade plays a significant role in shaping and popularizing Pagan-inspired expressions, symbols, and beliefs within the Ukrainian military. These practices appear to function as influential reference points for how death, sacrifice, and warrior identity are understood in the wartime context. Although based on a limited empirical material, the study provides insight into how religion among soldiers fighting in Ukraine can take creative and evolving forms.