MEMORIALIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR IN 2014–2022:INTERACTION BETWEEN STATE AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26661//zhv-2025-11-63-17Keywords:
JFO, ATO, commemorative practices, Russian-Ukrainian war, memorialization, memory politicsAbstract
The article analyzes the processes of memorialization of the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2014–2022 through the prism of the interaction between state and grassroots initiatives. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and systematicity, as well as general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special historical (historical-genetic, historical- typological, historical-comparative) methods. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between government and public forms of memorialization, and the study of the mechanisms of influence of various actors on the formation of collective memory about the war. It is shown that the Ukrainian model of memory politics in the period 2014–2022 was characterized by hybridity, where grassroots initiatives of volunteers, families of the fallen and veterans’ organizations often preceded official state projects. State commemorative practices (award system, memorial dates, commemoration ceremonies, military parades) and processes of marking symbolic space (decommunization of toponymy, creation of memorial objects, murals) are analyzed. Specific cases of cooperation between state institutions and public initiatives are revealed on the example of the Wall of Remembrance near St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, regional memorials. It is proved that the integration of grassroots initiatives into the official memory policy created an authentic model of commemoration that maintained a connection with the real needs of society. The study demonstrates that during 2014–2022, Ukraine developed a unique model of memory politics, where state actors and civil society acted not as opponents, but as partners in creating a new commemorative culture. Grassroots initiatives not only complemented official practices but often set the tone for state policy, forcing authorities to respond to real social needs.
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