Securitization of historical memory during the Russian-Ukrainian War

Abstract

The purpose of the research deals with the study of the historical politics of Ukraine during the war in the context of national security. Th e theoretical framework is based on the concept of securitization developed by the Copenhagen School (Barry Buzan, Ole Wæver) and the concept of Politics of Mnemonical Security (Maria Mälksoo). Th e research methodo- logy is based on the use of a transdisciplinary approach the principles of objectivity, historicism, systematicity, the use of methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization and systematization, comparative-historical, historical-typological and problematic-chronolo gical. Th e studies no- velty is that the article examines for the fi rst time the phenomenon of securitization of memory during the Russian-Ukrainian war against the background of the features of the landscape of memory in Eastern and Central Europe, analyzes the legislation, highlights the views of rep- resentatives of the Ukrainian authorities on the role of history in the war time. Conclusions. The securitization of historical memory in Ukraine began aft er Russia’s aggression in 2014 and serves as a means of ensuring the safety of the national historical narrative by delegitimizing or directly criminalizing Soviet and Russian narratives that are considered a threat to the state and society. Its main reason is the abuse of “historical arguments” by the Russian authorities, which include the denial of the existence of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian language, statements about Ukraine as a “failed state” and the Nazi state, the concepts of Russian world, Novorossiya, and the divided Russian people. Securitization is a forced and temporary wartime policy. In a democratic and pluralistic society, national memory cannot be formulated offi cially or regulated by bureaucracy. Aft er the war, historical memory must be desecuritized, deweapo- nized and returned to the realm of political participation and public debate.