REPRESENTATION OF THE MEMORY OF FORCED LABORERS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR PERIOD IN THE MODERN PUBLIC SPACE AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Summary. The purpose of the study is to analyze the problem of representation of the memory of forced laborers of the Second World War in the modern public space and scientific discourse of Ukraine. The methodology of the research is based on the general scientific and special historical methods. The work is based on the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity and the problem chronological approach. The scientific novelty of the article is an attempt to comprehensively study the features of the historical memory of Ostarbeiters as victims of the Second World War, who suffered from the Nazi and later from the Soviet repressive systems. It has been studied that comprehension and further reproduction the people՚s traumatic experiences is an important condition for the formation of the politics and culture of memory of the Second World War and the postwar period in Ukraine. Conclusions. It was found that the process of (re)creation of the historical memory of forced laborers in the public space and in the scientific discourse of Ukraine takes place from the standpoint of recognizing Ostarbeiters as victims of the Nazi and Soviet totalitarian systems. It has been studied that the problems of forced labor as a separate type of crime of the National Socialist state and the traumatic "acquisition of the homeland" by Ostarbeiter-repatriates are transmitted through individual and collective dimensions of historical memory. It is observed that the process of creating the image of forced labor in Ukrainian society is represented through research projects, memorial space, permanent museum exhibitions, museum-exhibition initiatives, feature and documentary films, thematic scientific conferences, educational events (lectures, workshops, museum lessons, school, student competitions, etc.), etc. Therefore, through research and discussion of this topic from different scientific perspectives and at different levels of society, it is possible to free oneself from the past traumatic experience.