Third War of Independence? The Anti-Colonial Dynamics of Ukraine’s Politics of Memory after 2014 on the Example of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War in Kyiv

Abstract

The article discusses the transformation of Ukraine from a peripheral colony to a European nation-state. It examines changes in the interpretation of UkrainianRussian relations in historiography, public perceptions, and museum exhibitions related to the ongoing war. It demonstrates that since 24 February 2022, Ukraine’s politics of memory has exclusively followed a continuously expanding anti-colonial perspective. The article highlights a shift in Ukrainian society’s view of its past, with growing interest in the country’s history and a move away from the Soviet perspective. Museums are crucial in shaping these narrative changes and fostering Ukrainian national identity. The article also explores societal transformations since 1991, showing an increased identification with the state and a gradual distancing from Russia. This is accompanied by a westward turn in geopolitical orientation and a desire to join the European Union. The National Museum of History of Ukraine in the Second World War in Kyiv serves as an example of these processes, reflecting a nuanced portrayal of the war and of its human dimension. The museum’s commitment can be seen as a pillar of a nation-state building project, with symbolic identification shifting from the East to the West, towards the EU and NATO.