LINGUOAXIOLOGY OF KINSHIP: RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IN THE RUSSIAN MASS MEDIA

The article is devoted to the study of metaphorical modeling of Russian-Ukrainian relations in the Russian mass media discourse. The main attention is paid to the history of the rise and axiological conditionality of the metaphorical model of blood kinship in the representation of relations between states and nations. The high nominative density of the concept of the KIN GROUP (KINSHIP), the conceptualization of interpersonal relations through family ties, the word-building potential of the producing basis –kin- confirm the special place of this construct in the axiological system of ancient East Slavic culture. The value of kinship fits into the general system of Soviet propaganda metaphorical models. Despite of the fact that Russian-Ukrainian relations have traditionally been represented by kinship/brotherhood models, today, when relations between states are tensed, in the Russian media discourse the linguistic axiology of kinship gives place to the metaphorical models of neighborhood, partnership and enmity. The rise of a scheme of enmity in the conceptualization of relations between Russia and Ukraine shows a new rhetorical modality in the Russian media discourse