Daryna Korkach

During her research stay, Daryna Korkach will work on the history of satire and comedy shows broadcast on Ukrainian television during the first decade of Ukrainian independence. This period is characterized by the dynamic development of national television production and the intensification of media exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. The story of comedy and satire reflects the entangled system of political ideas of that epoch. A large number of Russian entertaining shows with built-in imperial concepts were effectively balanced with Ukrainian content, as a significant part of the Ukrainian cultural establishment wanted to create authentic media products. The goal of this study is to examine the ideas that different comedy shows disseminate to their audiences. How did the creators see the political process and national sovereignty? How did they portray inter-gender relationships? How did they depict the family? And what do these jokes say about the Russian cultural expansion and decolonial processes in Ukraine in the 1990s?

This fellowship is generously funded by the City of Vienna.