Ukrainian Present in the mirror of the Past – a problem of multi-layeredness

Abstract

The article is devoted to actualization of the problem of multilayered nature of Ukrainian history in the situation of wide-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukrai­nian heritage includes the layers of few empires, namely two of them (Russian empire and USSR) create associations with the state, attacking Ukraine now. Under the influence of history, modern Ukrainian society is often characterized by cultural fragmentation and existence in the regime of a cultural frontier: next to the actual Ukrainian culture and history, there is a legacy of imperial culture, and imperial history has become an integral part of the history of Ukraine itself. The multi-layered nature of Ukraine’s history is reflected in the complex political landscape of Ukrainian society and shapes it in many respects. Discussions about the interpretation of the history of Ukraine are conducted not only by historians, but also by politicians. This significantly affects the study of historical memory in Ukraine, but also gradually changes the collective memory of Ukrainians. The policy of historical memory is largely influenced by the historical policy of the state and other political forces. The main lesson for Ukraine is the need for a clear definition not only of the evaluation of certain periods of the history of Ukraine, but also of the methodology of providing historical evaluations. In addition, it is necessary to take as a basis the special laws of Ukraine devoted to specific issues of the policy of historical memory. The former semi-colonial status of Ukraine as part of Tsarist Russia and the USSR actualizes the problem of overcoming the remnants of the influence of this colonial past. Therefore, working with historical memory in Ukraine requires an obligatory appeal to post-colonial studies. The strategy of memorizing of the empire past ought to include the instruments of working through the memory of these periods: it is necessary to provide a proper assessment and to distance oneself from such a past. Author observes the dynam­ics of working with the imperial past in recent decades.