What politics of memory is needed in Ukraine in the 20’s of 21st century: 12 proposals

Abstract

The article evaluate the relevance of historical policy and politics of memory design over the past five years. Emphasis is placed on the activities of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the question of what could be the historical policy/ politics of memory in the context of the activities of the new government.This article is written in the style of Anglo-American popular narrative about strategy-making, where there are places, people and objects to conquests for. The authors highlight the problematic issues in the work of the Institute of National Memory, namely the aggravation of the contradictions of collective memory narratives locally and internationally. The authors determine the reasons for the formation of historical policy problems, namely, the one-dimension policy of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, which has led to an increase in tension within the country and between regions of Ukraine and the lack of genuine communication by Institute with modern Ukrainian society.The focus is on the process of shaping politics of memory and their impact on public opinion and the image of the country in the world. The authors identify the reasons for the formation of politics of memory problems, namely, insufficiently active and honest work with socially significant target groups.In this article, the authors outline ways to overcome the current situation by offering 12 suggestions for improving historical/memory policy formulation, including the use of successful EU countries case studies on politics of memory models and activities with diverse local communities of memory. Particular attention is paid to defining the mission of the Institute of National Memory, whose primary purpose should be to create a politics of memory, that is, ideas/concepts that would unite the Ukraine with a focus on its common future. A future-oriented politics of memory must unite society.