Proces uzgadniania pamięci w kontekście „wojny pomników” na Ukrainie w latach 2014-2022

Abstract

THE PROCESS OF MEMORIAL RECONCILIATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE “WAR OF MONUMENTS” IN UKRAINE IN 2014-2022

The years 2014-2022 witnessed dynamic changes in Ukraine’s social, political and symbolic landscape. In its conflict against Ukraine, the Russian Federation employed methods of hybrid warfare that extended into the realms of communication, ideology, and historical discourse. In response, Ukraine sought to emphasize the distinctiveness and divergence of its symbolic sphere. Decommunization efforts included renaming streets and systematic removal of monuments associated with the communist era. The full-scale war that commenced after February 24, 2022, added deeper meaning to this process. The removal of monuments now extends beyond those commemorating figures and events from the communist period (decommunization), and extends to the tsarist and post-1991 Russian periods (deimperalization and derussification). The current article examines the dynamics of the monument removal process and the government’s endeavors to organize and institutionalize spontaneous public action. Prior to February 2022, decommunization in Ukraine focused on the Ukrainian collective memory, but now the “war of monuments” is directed against Russia. The analysis draws upon Michael Rothberg’s concept of multidirectional memory.