Red Arrow/Error: A Map Designed to Justify the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Takes on a Life of Its Own in Media and Memes

Abstract

On 1 March 2022, a few days after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a video of Alexander Lukashenko presenting a map appeared on social media. The map was intended to tell a story and take control of a situation, a combination of a military and a geopolitical map. Initially intended for the Belarusian public, the map travelled around the world and has been read, interpreted and obscured by a much wider audience in memes. We critically analyse the map itself, its presentation by Lukashenko, and its journey through the (digital) media.