Constructing a Policy of National Memory: Ideas, Meanings, Accents

Abstract

The article attempts to actualize the issue of memory in general, and national memory in particular, in the conditions of a full-scale war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The expediency of this study is connected with the existence of disagreements in public consciousness about the „historical past of the nation”, as well as with the need to preserve national memory. In the context of a full-scale war, a new national memory is being formed, which will become the base/foundation of the postwar Ukrainian national identity. It is shown that the construction of a national memory policy is the process of forming and reproducing a common memory in society, which includes the creation of common ideas, symbols, narratives and important meanings that unite the nation and its history, and is an element of national identity formation. The article pays special attention to the analysis of contemporary scientific research on the politics of memory, which raises the issues of „wars of memory”; conflicts of historical versions of memory; the problem of the relationship between memory and history; historical amnesia; local memory; history as an instrument of the state; oblivion as a mechanism of power; the extermination of important historical facts; aspects of the construction of memory policy; laws of memory; commemoration; displacement of memory; mythologizing the past, and others. The article analyzes the contradictions that arise in the construction of national memory. The point is that there may be contradictions between different narratives of the nation's past within the state, between personal and national memory, and between the national memory of different states. The construction of national memory can be accompanied by ignoring or appropriating facts, simplifying the complexity of national histories, selectivity, and the use of „forgetting”. Mythology and idealization of the past, as well as the absolutization of the category „historical truth” harm the unbiased consideration of history and carry the risk of provoking conflicts. It is proved that оnly an understanding of these contradictions, an attempt to reconcile them, and an awareness of history as an important factor in shaping the present and future of society and human beings will allow us to take a responsible approach to building a national memory policy.

Keywords

• ideas
• meanings
• national memory
• memory policy
• national memory policy
• war
• historical memory
• wars of memory