I resterna av Chernobyl : En kvalitativ studie av serien Chernobyl och dess gestaltning av Sovjet

• Main Authors: Curman, Josefin, Thelenius, Ella
• Format: Others
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media 2021
• Subjects: Chernobyl; Tjernobyl; HBO; gestaltning; Sovjet; semiotisk analys; gestaltningsteorin; Entman; Media and Communications; Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-433391

This essay is a qualitative study on the tv series Chernobyl and examines how Soviet is portrayed through the character of Boris Shcherbina and the environment in which the series takes place. For many, the series is a first acquaintance with the nuclear accident and Soviet in the 80’s. Due to the fact that Soviet was a relatively closed society, series like this can have a wider effect than usual, since there haven't been many other sources of information available. The study examines material regarding a historical event that had a global influence. The historical context of the cold war and previous stereotypical portrayals of Soviet makes for an interesting backdrop as the study examines what is being communicated about Soviet through the visuals. By conducting a semiotic analysis on selected scenes and thereafter using Robert Entman’s framing theory to analyze the empirical material this study has found that the series portrays Soviet negatively. Soviet is framed as a controlling and somewhat claustrophobic state, where persecution and inspection seem common. It is further portrayed as a state one does not question or go against, and the citizens seem to lack independence in relation to the state. The communist society is depicted as very hierarchical, with highly regarded leaders, such as Shcherbina, and with citizens living in simplicity and facing oppression. The environments in the series are often grey, dark and gloomy, which contributes to the portrayal of Soviet as a somber state.