One year of Ukraine’s De-communisation. A change in the historical narrative. OSW COMMENTARY NUMBER 211/16.05.2016

A year ago, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted four bills on the policy of national memory: on granting access to the archives of the repressive organs of the Communist totalitarian regime in the years 1917–1991, on the legal status and commemoration of Ukrainian independence fighters in the twentieth century, on the immortalisation of the victory over Nazism in the Second World War, 1939–1945, and on the condemnation of the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes and the forbidding of their symbolism from being promoted. The laws came into force on 21 May 2015. After a year, it can be stated that only the latter two are being observed – the official narrative regarding World War II has been changed, mainly due to the activity of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), but also as a result of public statements by President Petro Poroshenko. The process of removing from public places the names and commemorations referring to the Soviet era is underway, and the fears that this may trigger serious conflicts have not proved true. From roughly a thousand placenames subject to de-communisation some two thirds have been changed so far (parliamentary bills regarding the remaining ones are awaiting approval) and most statues of Communist leaders have been removed. However, the law concerning independence fighters, which raised the most serious controversies, did not have any practical consequences. Moreover, nothing suggests that this could change. The implementation of the de-communisation laws is associated with a significant change in Ukrainian patriotic narrative: it is no longer focused on national martyrdom and it is beginning to emphasize heroic motives, which is in line with wartime needs. The fact that some of these motives are likely to trigger problems in Ukraine’s relations with Poland seems to be viewed as a marginal ‘by-product’

Памятники как фактор исторической памяти и идентичности Угроза: Донбасс и Украина

This presentation considers the socio-cultural and historical aspects of the annexation of the Ukrainian Donbass, the factor of dismantling Lenin monuments throughout Western and Central parts of the country as a trigger of pro-Russian demonstration in Eastern Ukraine, the role of Ukrainian and Soviet monuments in the value consolidation of pro- Russian and pro-Ukrainian social groups and communities in the context of the Majdan events, polarisation of post-soviet and post-colonial society in the context of the interpretation of the events WWII, social identity shiftВ этой презентации рассматриваются социально-культурные и исторические аспекты аннексии Украинского Донбасса, фактор демонтажа памятников Ленина во всей западной и центральной частях страны как триггер пророссийской демонстрации в Восточной Украине, роль украинского и советского памятники в ценностной консолидации пророссийских и проукраинских социальных групп и сообществ в контексте майданских событий, поляризации постсоветского и постколониального общества в контексте интерпретации событий Второй мировой войны, сдвига социальной идентичностиЦя презентація розглядає соціокультурні та історичні аспекти анексії українського Донбасу, фактору демонтажу пам'ятників Леніну по всій Західній і Центральній частині країни як примусу проросійської демонстрації в Східній Україні, ролі української та радянської пам'ятники ціннісної консолідації проросійських та проукраїнських соціальних груп та громад у контексті майданських подій, поляризація пострадянського та постколоніального суспільства в контексті інтерпретації подій ВВВ, зміни соціальної ідентичност

The German Topos of Ukraine as a Lost Homeland: Ukrainian Topography in the Poem “Flight Into Kyiv” by Hans-Ulrich Treichel

The article focuses on the cartographic enactment of the topos of Ukraine as a lost homeland in contemporary German literary discourse on migration, and in particular in the body of work that conveys the voices of the “second generation” — children of the German (post-)war migration. The article analyses by way of an illustrative example Hans-Ulrich Treichel’s poem “Flight into Kyiv,” in which we find reflected the autobiographical theme of the (re)construction of the lost homeland of his father, a Volyn German who fled to Germany during the Second World War to escape reprisals of the Soviet army. The main object of research are the mental maps of Ukrainian space, which largely define the way Ukraine is represented both in contemporary German social discourse and in modern German literature. A textual analysis of the poem allows us to discern how the resource of the Western European construct of Eastern Europe is instrumentalized and aesthetically arranged by German (post)migration perception to institutionalize the image of Ukraine as a “lost homeland.

The beginning of the celebrations of the centenary of Ukraine’s independence. OSW Commentary NUMBER 261 | 20.02.2018

January 2018 saw the first celebrations commemorating the centenary of Ukraine’s fight for independence (1917–1921). The first two of these events, commemorating the declaration of independence (22 January 1918) and the battle of Kruty (29 January 1918), were surprisingly small-scale, especially with regard to the participation of Ukraine’s leadership in them. This may mean that the ruling elite has no concept of how to use the centenary to solidify its political position, also in the context of the presidential and parliamentary elections planned for 2019. At the same time, a profound shift in the narrative regarding the fight from a century ago has been evident in the media reports and educational materials published by the Ukrainian Institute for National Remembrance (UINP). The emphasis is no longer placed on the armed struggle and the continuation of the leftist tradition of the government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic; instead, priority is given to the efforts to build a state and create its institutions, including professional armed forces. The anarchist-revolutionary traditions are criticised, and the importance of order and discipline is highlighted

The Holodomor and the Ukrainian Diaspora: Historical Narratives in a Changing World

In the early 1930s, a famine often called the Holodomor took place in Ukraine, and millions of people died. In recent decades, many, particularly the Ukrainian diaspora around the world, have suggested the Holodomor was genocide against the Ukrainian people by the Soviet government, and several countries have recognized the famine as such. No scholarly consensus exists, however, as to whether the Holodomor was genocide. This project therefore focuses on the connection between the Ukrainian diaspora in the West and its advocacy for recognition of the Holodomor as genocide despite a lack of consensus on the subject. To investigate, many books, newspapers, and websites on the famine were read, as well as on the history and behaviors of the Ukrainian diaspora. The project has relied heavily on primary sources such as public statements from various politicians and governments, current websites directly expressing the views of Ukrainian diaspora groups, and newspapers expressing certain points of view regarding the famine. Because the Ukrainian diaspora positioned itself into places of prominence in new communities, current research shows it has done significant work to advocate for the awareness of the famine as genocide. Many declarations, monuments, laws, museums, and the like have been created to recognize and commemorate the famine as genocide, including a monument in Washington, D.C. This progress towards recognition of the Holodomor despite the lack of scholarly consensus suggests that societal power of diaspora populations and their advocacy on behalf of certain issues can be stronger than established scholarship in changing societal and historical narratives. Moreover, the Holodomor is significant in current Russian and Ukrainian relations: the current conflict in Ukraine has led to repeated allusions to the Holodomor and its role in the current political narrative.No embargoAcademic Major: Histor