Analysis of educational YouTube channel performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine: a case study of organic and bioorganic chemistry content for Zaporizhzhia state medical and pharmaceutical university (2019-2025)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represent two major disruptive events that have fundamentally altered educational delivery in Ukrainian higher education institutions. This study examines the impact of these events on viewership patterns of an educational chemistry YouTube channel intended to Pharmaceutical, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry Department of Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University (ZSMPhU). YouTube analytics data spanning November 2019 to November 2025 was analyzed, encompassing 311,185 total views across multiple metrics including geographic distribution, traffic sources, device types, subscription dynamics, and content performance. Data interpretation incorporated contextual analysis of affecting Ukrainian higher education. The channel experienced a 4,618% increase in views during the first year of the pandemic (2020), peaking at 89,972 views in 2021. Following the russian invasion in February 2022, views declined progressively: -25% (2022), -42% (2023), and -21% (2024). Geographic analysis revealed increased Ukrainian audience percentage ratio (from 24% to 43% of total views) despite absolute decline, while russian viewership collapsed from 8,630 (2022) to zero (2025). Several unexpected patterns emerged: russian audiences paradoxically peaked in the year of the invasion; external traffic from institutional sources increased during crisis conditions; device-specific engagement patterns suggest differentiated viewing contexts, and videos with embedded russian subtitles were restricted for viewing, while most videos with embedded Ukrainian and English subtitles remained open to all. Channel analytics provide quantitative evidence of war's educational impact on a frontline Ukrainian university, while also revealing institutional adaptive responses and unexpected audience behavior patterns. The data demonstrate both vulnerability to geopolitical disruption and resilience of digital educational resources in maintaining continuity during crisis conditions.