The COVID-19 Pandemic in the Public Rhetoric of Moscow and St. Petersburg City Authorities: Discourse Analysis

Student: Popov Stepan

Supervisor: Oksana Zaporozhets

Faculty: Faculty of Urban and Regional Development

Educational Programme: Urban Development and Spatial Planning (Master)

Year of Graduation: 2021

The work is devoted to the study of the use of the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic in the public rhetoric of the city authorities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Based on the results of a study using critical discourse analysis, it was possible to find both similar techniques in dealing with the topic of a pandemic, and regional features. It was revealed that city authorities emphasize the importance and effectiveness of their work during a pandemic and distance themselves from the possible and real negative consequences of their decisions. In their public rhetoric, they legitimize their work of past years, and also try to justify the mechanisms for making and implementing decisions in an emergency, to normalize them as an optimal city management system.

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