Reinterpretation of the image of president Volodymyr Zelensky in Polish internet memes during the Ukraine-Russia war

The article discusses the online reception of the image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022. A quantitative-qualitative method was used to analyze 126 internet memes published on the Polish website Kwejk.pl. The analysis of the memes studied showed that the Ukrainian-Russian conflict is simplified to a battle between the leaders of the warring countries. While Volodymyr Zelensky is almost exclusively presented positively by internet users as a hero and a simple, likable person, Russian President Vladimir Putin is his complete opposite - a weak, cowardly and greedy man. By creating and spreading such memes, internet users therefore reinterpret the media images of politicians. The creators of memes become not only commentators, but also participants in political life, having a real impact on public opinion. Internet memes should therefore be treated as a highly valuable informational and image-related tool in the war.