«Decentraliziation of History» as a Counter-Discourse of «Decommunization» in Modern Information Space of Ukraine

Abstract

<p><em>The article examines the main content and modern communication models of discourse / counter-discourse of «decommunization» in the information space of Ukraine. The theoretical basis for the scientific comprehension of the informational content of «decommunization» in today’s mass media discourse is not only the recent practice of its explication in the media, but also the problem of responsibility and compensation of «memory». Political manipulations in the Ukrainian symbolic space do not encourage the process of consolidation in its purification, but contribute to the parallel coexistence of different types of historical consciousness of the population (ethno-national and social).</em></p><p><em>In the modern communication space of Ukraine, in connection with the change of the political elite and the main priority directions of the state information policy, the media monitors the effect of the so-called «normalization» of the discourse of «historical memory», which is caused by the transition from national-cultural to social-humanitarian. the vector of constructing reality within the state program. In practical media activity, this process is characterized by the formation of an independent discourse stream of regional elites and «decentralization of history», using strategies of toponymical appealing decommunized titles and functioning of hidden discourses of renaming. The «decentralization of history» in regional communication models is, in fact, a modern form of counter-discourse of «decommunization» and is most prevalent in the information space of the Southern and Eastern regions of Ukraine. The content of the marked materials is mainly devoted to criticism of renaming, attempts to return the old name or double name change, toponymic appeal, lack of historical / cultural / social and other correlation of the name to the region, inconsistency of the history / heroics of the region and approval of the new ones.</em><strong></strong></p><strong><em>Key words: </em></strong><em>communication, decommunisation, discourse, identity, information space, historical memory, media.</em>