The problem of the revival of the historical memory in the activities of the informal public organization of the Southern Ukraine during the years of the Perestroika

Abstract

The essence of the phenomenon of the historical memory is revealed. The author defines the historical memory as the ability of the human mind to preserve the individual and the collective experience of the interpersonal relationships and to form on the basis of this experience the perception of history as such and its place in it.

The geographic boundaries of the study are Southern Ukraine, which includes Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhya regions and the Crimea. The process of the restoration of the historical memory of the informal public organizations in the Southern Ukraine in the second half of 1980-1991 was characterized. Among the non-governmental associations which were stood at the ahead of the national revival of Ukraine are: the historical and educational companionship «Memorial», the Society of Ukrainian language of T.G. Shevchenko (SUL), Ukrainian Helsinki Union (UHU), and People Movement of Ukraine (PMU).

The important direction of the activity of the informal organizations was the search of the evidences of the implementation of the repression of the Soviet authorities during the 1930’s – the beginning of the 50’s of the twentieth century. In the future it was questioned the doubt of the expediency of Ukraine’s staying under the «care» of Moscow. The activists of the amateur associations appealed to the history of the Zaporizhya Cossacks as the «golden age» of the national state-building. Thus, the celebration of the 500 anniversary of the Cossacks became the kind of the propaganda of the ideal of the brotherhood among Ukrainians, which was illustrated the national identity.

The main practical results of the activities of the cultural and educational organizations of the Southern Ukraine were the publishing house of the printed «self-publishing» of the newspapers, the creation of the thematic library funds, the realization of the mass-cultural events such as the concerts, the creative evenings, the art exhibitions, etc. The realization of the nongovernmental associations of cultural and educational events aimed at the propaganda of the distinctness of the Ukrainian historical process and it was played the important role in the awakening of the national consciousness.