Russia’s Denial of Ukraine: Letters and Contested Memory

Russia's imperialist war against Ukraine in 2022 has led to the integration of contested memory in Ukraine's cultural memory, weakening national aspirations and strengthening resilience and resistance against violence. Letters and Contested Memory explores this phenomenon, offering a theoretical premise for exploring contested memory, social forgetting, and remembering.

Format: Hardback
Length: 302 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2024
Publisher: Lexington Books

Russia's Imperialist War Against Ukraine: A Historical Overview
Russia's imperialist war against Ukraine began in 2014 and has continued to this day. The Kremlin has consistently denied the existence of Ukraine as a distinct nation from Russia, perpetuating a narrative that seeks to erase Ukrainian identity and history. This denial has had profound consequences for Ukraine's cultural memory, as it has been shaped by narratives that emerged during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

One of the key themes of Russia's imperialist war against Ukraine is the integration of contested memory into the cultural memory of Ukraine. Contested memory refers to the competing narratives and memories that exist about a particular event or period in history. In the case of Ukraine, contested memory has been shaped by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as by the historical and cultural factors that have influenced the region.

The gradual and long-lasting integration of contested memory into the cultural memory of Ukraine is explored in the book "Russia's Denial of Ukraine: Letters and Contested Memory." The book argues that narratives that formed the contested memory in the nineteenth century have come to the fore with the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War. These narratives have been used by Russia to justify its imperialist actions and to undermine Ukraine's national aspirations.

At the same time, the book offers a theoretical premise for exploring contested memory, social forgetting, and remembering. It suggests that contested memory can have both positive and negative effects on a society. On the one hand, contested memory can help to strengthen resilience and resistance against violence. On the other hand, it can weaken national aspirations and undermine the ability of a society to remember its past.

The ambivalent nature of contested memory is evident in the way that it has been used by Russia to justify its imperialist actions in Ukraine. For example, Russia has claimed that Ukraine is a part of Russia and that the Ukrainian people are Russian citizens. This claim has been used to justify Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty.

However, contested memory has also been used by Ukraine to resist Russian imperialism. For example, Ukrainian writers have used their works to document the history of Ukraine and to challenge Russia's narrative of Ukraine's history. These works have been published in Ukraine and abroad and have helped to raise awareness of Ukraine's plight.

Letters reveal public discourses shaped by cultural and political developments centering on the Ukrainians' endeavors to remember themselves as a nation distinct from the Russians. Epistolary expressions by Mykola Hohol, Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, Ivan Franko, and Volodymyr Vynnychenko illustrate the circulation of contested memory sponsored and supported in many ways by Russia. Writers comment on their Ukrainianness and situate themselves in Ukraine's entangled past in which empires clash and fall apart.

In conclusion, Russia's imperialist war against Ukraine has had profound consequences for Ukraine's cultural memory. The integration of contested memory into the cultural memory of Ukraine has been shaped by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as by the historical and cultural factors that have influenced the region. While contested memory can have both positive and negative effects on a society, it is important to recognize the ambivalent nature of contested memory and to work towards a more inclusive and accurate understanding of Ukraine's history.

Weight: 581g
Dimension: 237 x 162 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666941814