KEY WORDS OF THE CURRENT MOMENT IN RUSSIAN AND UZBEK MEDIA DISCOURSES: A CROSS-CULTURAL ASPECT

The article presents a cross-cultural analysis of key words of the current moment in Russian and Uzbek media discourses during the period 2023-2025. Based on the analysis of frequency and linguistic features of usage in official and alternative media, the core concepts structuring the agenda of each linguo-social community are identified. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study is based on the principles of political linguistics and discourse analysis. The focus is on the mechanisms of functioning of key words of the current moment not as passive nominations, but as active instruments for constructing political reality and suggestive influence. The comparative method reveals that the Russian discourse is characterised by a reactive, mobilisation model dominated by markers such as SMO (Special Military Operation), sanctions, and import substitution . In contrast, the Uzbek discourse is built around a proactive model of internal transformations, with key markers being raqamlashtirish (digitalisation), korruptsiya / javobgarlik (fight against corruption), and yashil iqtisodiyot (green economy). The central conclusion of the article is that differences in the semantics and pragmatics of outwardly similar concepts (e.g., “digitalisation”) are determined by deep extralinguistic factors: geopolitical situation, economic priorities, and strategies of power legitimation in the two countries.