Pushkin as an archetypal hero: The monomyth of the motion picture "Prophet. The Story of Alexander Pushkin"

<jats:p>The article is devoted to studying the evolution of the Pushkin myth in the modern media space based on the cinematic text "Prophet. The Story of Alexander Pushkin" (2025). The paper examines the current model of representing the poet's biography in the context of mass culture in the mid-2020s. The aim of the study is to identify the key structural and semantic dominants of the modern model of A. S. Pushkin's heroization. The analysis of the cinematic narrative is performed with a focus on Joseph Campbell's concept of the monomyth. The scientific novelty lies in identifying the transition from postmodern deconstruction of the image to a strategy of "state heroization." For the first time, the substitution of the traditional concept of the "national poet" with the idea of a productive union between the artist and the authorities is substantiated, where state institutions are endowed with the functions of a sacred patron guiding the talent. The results obtained showed that the plot logic of the film interprets external political restrictions (censorship, exile) as necessary conditions for the internal transformation of the genius and his overcoming of a destructive rebellious "ego." It has been established that traditional antagonists (Nicholas I, Benckendorff) in the modern interpretation of the myth appear as initiatory figures contributing to the realization of the poet's high destiny. Thus, the current version of the myth offers a model of a "reconciled" genius whose creative freedom is paradoxically justified through the recognition of hierarchy and state law.</jats:p>