Ukrainian Humor in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War: Cognitive and Stylistic Features

The article analyzes the functioning of war-time Ukrainian humorous discourse in general and the cognitive mechanisms of humor, including reframing and incongruity mechanisms, as well as the switch of cognitive patterns in particular. The study aims to examine a number of Ukrainian jokes functioning during the Russian-Ukrainian war and to reveal main cognitive patterns and accompanying stylistic figures producing the comic effect. The study addresses some cognitive and pragmatic aspects of the war-time Ukrainian humor, focusing on the role of cognitive patterns in selecting stylistic humor devices, while processing the incoming information and shaping the cognitive frameworks of humor perception and creation. The paper reveals the main cognitive patterns, including the ‘Availability Heuristic,’ the ‘Distinct contrast,’ the ‘Negativity Thinking,’ the ‘Superiority or Illusionary Superiority,’ the ‘Easel,’ and their humorous actualization through such stylistic figures as paraprosdokian, irony, bathos, double entendre, pun, metaphor, and pastiche in its narrow meaning. The researched Ukrainian jokes are interwoven with the situational context of the dramatic events within the temporality of the speedy streaming news of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The paper explores the main functions of war-time Ukrainian humorous discourse and makes additional remarks about a number of affirmations from some humor theories.