Representations and interpretations of the past in the Ukrainian state museum of the history of the Great Patriotic war in the transition at the end of 1980s – at the beginning of 1990s

Abstract

Purpose of Article. The goal of the work is to detect strategies of representations and interpretations of the past in the Ukrainian state museum of the history of the Great Patriotic war in the transition at the end of 1980s – at the beginning of 1990s with consideration of the external factors, which had influenced on its molding. Methodology. The main method is skeptical empiricism. Scientific Novelty. The author is the first who reveals the strategies of representations and interpretations in the mentioned museum at the researched period. Conclusions. The external factors, which had influenced on strategies of representations and interpretations of the past in that museum, were the end of the Soviet propaganda, struggle with its symbols, multiplicity of historical politics and its new instrumentalization. In this regard, the strategies of museum representations and interpretations were options of main museum theme, tweaking of existing museum representations and interpretations. The Soviet narrative was, generally, saved with some changes such as hybridization with Ukrainian people narrative in its vulgar form. Also there were the emphasized anthropological sides of the WWII, transition from the glory of the soviet historical myth about WWII to the glory of ordinary soldiers, and honoring the memory of victims. The museum waited for self-organization in this problem. This anti-fragile (according to N.N.Taleb, when objet after harming has become better, than it was before harming) position of museum was the key of survival in the time, when somebody wanted to extremely changed it, or closed it at all. The results of this investigation will be highlighted in the further research of representations and interpretations of the past in the Ukrainian state museum of the history of the Great Patriotic in times after the great re-exposition in 1994.