Shaping National Identity in Crisis: Zelenskyy’s New Year Addresses During Wartime

Svitlana GOLOSHCHUK  - Natalia SHUMEIKO 

https://doi.org/10.53465/JAP.2025.9788022552806.112-130

 

Abstract: This study provides a comparative analysis of the New Year addresses delivered during wartime by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It aims to reveal how significant shifts in themes and rhetoric within his political discourse shape the concept of national identity, and how the lexical devices he employs support his stance. The research data were collected from the transcripts of New Year addresses (NYA) delivered by Zelenskyy in December 2022, 2023, and 2024, which are available on the official presidential website. A quantitative analysis using Voyant Tools identified key terms related to Zelenskyy’s political approach, while Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) examined how these terms reinforce his political narrative. A web-based application for text analysis Voyant Tools was chosen for its strong text visualisation features, which facilitate a comparative analysis of linguistic patterns over time. By employing frequency analysis and collocation mapping, the study uncovers shifts in Zelenskyy’s discourse, providing a structured, data-driven approach to understanding his rhetorical evolution. The findings reveal a strategic use of NYA to promote themes of national identity, resistance, the identification of actors and agents of warfare, and references to time. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of comparative analysis in understanding key topics and demonstrates how carefully selected words and powerful imagery contribute to building national unity and strengthening public opinion.

Keywords: corpus linguistics, political discourse, Voyant tools, New Year address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Fulltext: PDF

Language of the paper: English

Online publication date: 23 December 2025

Pages: 112 – 130

 

ISBN: 978-80-225-5280-6 (online), 978-80-225-5279-0

ISSN: 2729-8973 (online), 2729-8981

Publisher: Bratislava University of Economics and Business, Vydavateľstvo Ekonóm

 

How to cite this conference proceedings paper (APA 7^th Edition):

Goloshchuk, S., & Shumeiko, N. (2025). Shaping National Identity in Crisis: Zelenskyy’s New Year Addresses During Wartime. In R. Štefančík (Ed.), Jazyk a politika. Na pomedzí lingvistiky a politológie X (pp. 112–130). Vydavateľstvo Ekonóm. https://doi.org/10.53465/JAP.2025.9788022552806.112-130