Historical Memory Research Articles

Student Youth in the Space of Historical Practices and Narratives (Regional Dimension)

Introduction. The importance of exploring the specificity of shaping the historical memory among young people is due to the fact that it is this age that is crucial in the formation of worldview attitudes and civic identity. In modern geopolitical conditions, when the falsification of historical events of Russia's past takes place, the analysis of the factors of studentsʼ involvement in the space of historical practices and narratives that influence the formation of their historical memory is especially important. The aim of the article is to measure the level of students' involvement in the space of historical practices and narratives on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sociological research data; to identify the factors influencing the historical memory of student youth in the Republic of Mordovia. Materials and Methods. The empirical basis of the study constituted the findings derived from 20 semi-structured interviews with young people between 18 and 25 years old, as well as the results of an online survey held among university and secondary educational institutions learners in the Republic of Mordovia (n = 700). Multistage composite sampling. Results. Based on cluster analysis, three groups of student youth were identified according to the level of involvement in the space of historical practices and narratives. The relationship between belonging to a specific cluster and socio-demographic factors is presented: gender, level of education and place of residence turned out to be significant. Among the factors influencing the level of involvement in historical practices and narratives are cognitive interest in history, family memories, and active use of media. It has been established that the significance of these factors in shaping the historical memory of young people may vary. The most significant factors are historical education (at secondary school, vocational education institution, university), the role of teacher as a mediator of historical knowledge, as well as the continuity and depth of family memory. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study determine the factors of student youth involvement in the space of historical practices and narratives and supplement the sociological understanding of the processes of constructing the historical memory. The materials of the article may be of interest to specialists engaged in patriotic education, historical education of youth, practitioners involved in the development of youth policy.

CIVIC IDENTITY AND FAMILY MEMORY OF THE URBAN YOUTH IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC ZONE (ON SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN POMORIE)

The article represents data from sociological research held in 2021–2023 among the youth of the Arkhangelsk region (Pomorie), characterizing the state and characteristics of civic identity, its relationship to family history, which, in its turn, is treated as the basic level of historical memory. The specificity of the indicators is determined, among other, by the fact that they were obtained in the most ethnically homogeneous region of the Russia with the largest proportion of ethnic Russians in the population. Surveys of people, primarily aged 18–25 are, are presented in comparison with data from projects on similar topics implemented by leading sociological centers in Russia. Materials from Pomorie, i.e. in one of the bearing regions of the Russian Arctic zone, indicate that representatives of the post-Soviet generation in the Arkhangelsk agglomeration have a generally formed identity, based on the awareness of the legal connection with the state, as states by the novels in Russian Constitution from 2020 and the principles of current Russian nation-building policy. Another significant trend is changes in young people’s interpretation of ethnicity is performed in increasing importance of culture and language as its main criteria. Surveys also have confirmed the growing interest of young people to family history, with an average level of knowledge, as well as the presence of a personal, emotionally charged attitude towards the main events of Russian history. The presented results indicate the demand for new tools for stimulating, supporting and satisfying youth’s interest in history, which prospectively is an effective factor in the formation of a stable civic identity among a generation that in the next decade will form the majority in the political, economic, scientific and cultural elite of the Russian Federation.

Russia Abroad vs Russian Diaspora in the Interwar Period

This article considers a relevant issue of modern historiography, i. e. the expediency of introducing the concept of “Russia Abroad” in the study of Russian emigration of the 1920s–1930s, along with the definition of “diaspora”. The task is complicated by the lack of a unified categorical apparatus and a variety of interpretations. The problem is solved based on structural and constructivist approaches, as well as comparative analysis. The authors propose their own classification of identifying features of the diaspora, highlighting the geographical (territorial), social, political, cultural, and mental blocks. The phenomenon of Russia Abroad is analysed through the prism of diasporisation. The article shows the process of institutionalisation of the Russian emigration of the 1920s, which brings it closer to the diaspora. However, its composition, unlike that of diaspora, was polyethnic. The dominant trend was the preservation of not ethnic but cultural and civic identity, which determined the structure-forming leitmotif of activity aimed at constructing its “Russia Abroad”. However, having renounced the citizenship of Soviet Russia/USSR and recognising the Soviet government as illegitimate, the emigrants unsuccessfully tried to consolidate a legal connection with the state that had disappeared from the political map of the world, trying to defend the old passports. The vectors of reflexive activity with a myth-generating potential were an ostentatious opposition to all things Soviet, the preservation of national identity and traditional values (unlike those born in the revolution), the “ethical code”, social norms, and the justification of the missionary role of emigration. Of the many institutions that claimed to have become a successor authority, the Council of Former Ambassadors headed by M. N. Girs stands out. He concentrated human, financial, material, and organisational potential in his hands and had representation at international organisations, including the League of Nations, in Geneva. The foreign diplomatic corps became the guardian of the idea of all-Russian statehood. Well-established communication links helped him to carry out tasks that were not typical of him, adapted to the new situation and focusing primarily on the settlement of the legal situation of refugees. The article concludes about the consolidating function of both mythmaking and activities aimed at reproducing the attributes of statehood. The Russian “state-like form of being” contributed to the preservation of the Russian language, national identity, and the creation of a system of Russian educational institutions and institutes of historical memory. The doom of Russia Abroad was due to both its conservatism and confrontation with the motherland. The division into two Russias could not carry a positive potential. Foreign Russia can be characterised as a diaspora, but this phenomenon goes beyond even the wide range of identification features that are given to the diaspora today.

The emergence of the synergistically complex power in digital era: challenges to human capital

The article examines the dynamics of power in the context of the specifics of digital discourse from the industrial modernity up to the modern times. This is determined by the transition from one episteme of knowledge and thinking to another, the emergence of a network society, as well as digitalization processes. The author substantiates the claim that under the influence of these factors, the nature of power is permanently becoming more complex, acquiring an increasingly hybrid character amd also pays special attention to the analysis of the ambivalent consequences of the nonlinear transformations of power for the formation of human capital: on the one hand, newly created power resources are used for the benefit of people, however, like all complex innovation processes, the development of power is accompanied by unintentional “collateral damage” (Z. Bauman), which takes the form of challenges to irrational rationality, dehumanization, on which both those in power and the governed are forced to reflect, displaying their social responsibility. The factors contributing to the formation of a synergistically complex power are specifically revealed, including: speed, network realities, symbolic codes, “digital revolution” and “digital metamorphosis” (U. Beck). In conclusion, the author suggests some possible government responses to the challenges that have arisen: strengthening the social responsibility component of the human capital; taking into account the specifics of national realities, historical memory, and the established value realities in the life-worlds of Russians; the formation of “bridges” connecting peoples in line with the emergence of a multipolar world, with the aim to codevelop global and national-local human capital, sustainable development of the country and the world.

Памяти Акилино Мата Миер, почетного президента Ассоциации летчиков-республиканцев (подразделение Катало-ния—Север—Балеарские острова)

On March 15, 2024, Aquilino Mata Mier, honorary president of the Association of Republican Pilots (ADAR, division Cat-alonia-North-Balearic Islands), laureate of the international award of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation “Faith and Loyalty”, passed away. Events of the Spanish conflict 1936-1939. for many years remained one of the main topics of Russian-Spanish scientific and public dialogue; it was dur-ing the civil war that the closest ties between our countries developed. The memory of the USSR's assistance to the Spanish Republic is still preserved by the Spaniards, and one of the keepers of this memory was Aquilino Mata Mier. It is difficult to overestimate the contribution that, thanks to his energy, enthusiasm, conviction in the significance of the work he is engaged in, Aquilino Mata made to the preservation of historical memory of the events of 1936-1939, as well as to the maintenance of Russian-Spanish scientific interaction and the preservation of bilateral ties in difficult modern conditions.

THE “CANCEL CULTURE” PHENOMENON IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTION

The object of the study is intergenerational interaction in the digital era. The relevance of the study is due to the influence of the digitalization processes of modern society and the instability of the value-normative system of various social groups differentiated by age. The work analyzes the attitude towards the values shared by the older generation of the Russian Federation in the era of digitalization in a new phenomenon of «cancel culture» context. Based on the study of the «cancel culture» concept through the most resonant examples of Western and domestic cultures an attempt is made to rethink intergenerational relationships within the modern social changes framework. The study demonstrates changing attitudes towards Russian culture in the West as well as a change in views on values in the latest political, cultural and social realities context. Changes are also taking place in the relationship between older and younger (digital) generations. The phenomenon of «cancel culture» borrowed from Western cultures significantly influences the attitude of other states to foundations of historical memory through attempts to devalue the achievements and values of previous generations and «cancel» them. It has been established that in the transformations of modern society context, its digitalization, it is necessary to strengthen the interaction of generations and prevent the «cancellation» of the values of the older generation strengthening the national culture traditions. This study has practical significance and can be used for social work with young people, the elderly, and for the formation of social policy, for the prevention of the breakdown of intergenerational ties.

Curatorial Dissonance and Conflictual Aesthetics: Holocaust Memory and Public Humanities in Greek Historiography

Despite the increasingly diverse societal landscape in Greece for more than three decades within a context of migration, understandings of its fragile histories are still limited in shaping a sense of belonging that is open to ‘otherness’. While Greek communities have utilised history as a pathway to maintain identity, other parallel histories and understandings do not resonate with ‘Greekness’ for most, such as the case of Greek Jewry. Critical historical perspectives can benefit from tracing ‘re-membering’ as a feminist practice in the reassessment of societal values of inclusivity. Histories of violence and injustice can also include elements of ‘difficult histories’ and must be embraced to seek acknowledgement of these in promoting social change and cultural analysis for public humanities informing curation and curricula. Between eduscapes, art heritage spaces, an entry into contested and conflictual histories can expand a sense of belonging and the way we imagine our own connected histories with communities, place and nation. Greek Jews do not constitute a strong part of historical memory for Greeks in their past and present; in contrast to what is perceived as ‘official’ history, theirs is quite marginal. As a result, contemporary Greeks, from everyday life to academia, do not have a holistic understanding in relation to the identities of Jews in Greece, their culture or the Holocaust. Given the emergence of a new wave of artistic activism in recent years in response to the ever-increasing dominance of authoritarian neoliberalism, along with activist practices in the art field as undercurrents of resistance, in this intervention I bring together bodies of works to create a dialogic reflection with historical, artistic and feminist sources. In turn, the discussion then explores the spatiotemporal contestations of the historical geographies of Holocaust monuments in Greece. While interrogating historical amnesia, I endeavour to provide a space to engage with ‘difficult histories’ in their aesthetic context as a heritage of healing and social justice.

Youth of the Arkhangelsk Agglomeration in the early 2020s: Life Strategies, Identity and Historical Memory

The article summarizes the data of sociological surveys of urban youth, mainly at the age of 18-24, held in the largest agglomeration of the Arctic zone of Russia («Arkhangelsk agglomeration») in 2021-2023. Data characterizing the ethnic-language situation in the territory, features and state of regional and civil identity, historical memory in the youth environment. Particular attention was paid to the attitude of young people to the history of their own family or family, to the «places of memory» and the national holidays of the Russian Federation related to the history of the country. The article, the authors of which were also the beginning researchers, also includes the assessments of youth representatives on these aspects. In general, the commitment to urban youth of Pomorie to the basic traditional values such as family, love, work, friendship was confirmed. The stable and constructive nature of the processes of the formation of a new Russian civil identity is noted, the attitude of youth as a whole corresponds to the formula of the civil nation set by the edition of the Russian Constitution from 2020, but a decrease in indicators of regional identity was revealed. Also, in the form of expert proposals, recommendations are presented on the composition of urgent measures of a political, economic and informational nature, designed to ensure sustainable reproduction of the human potential in the cities of the AZRF European sector, including by attracting youth from other regions of Russia.

ON THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF VASILY DIMITRIEVICH DIMITRIEV

The relevance of studying the biography of a prominent Soviet and Russian scientist, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Vasily Dimitrievich Dimitriev is due to the growing interest in representatives of the second post–war generation of historians who made a great contribution to the development of historical education and to studying the problems of national history in the second half of the twentieth – early 21st century. The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the biography of V.D. Dimitriev, who, mastering and successfully implementing research practices, in his writings focused on studying the medieval history of the Chuvash people and the Chuvash region, as well as problems of ethnography, demography and historical memory. Materials and methods. The analysis of V.D. Dimitriev’s organizational, pedagogical and scientific activities is based on the study of the historian’s scientific heritage, historiographical literature, memoirs and Internet sources. When writing the article, the principle of historicism, the historiographical approach, the biographical method, as well as methods of systematic and comparative analysis were used, which made it possible to reveal the scientist’s diverse activities during the longitudinal period. Study results. Three stages of V.D. Dimitriev’s life were established. During the first stage (1924–1942), his personality was developing, his studies at the historical faculty of the Chuvash Pedagogical Institute were effective, during which he was elected secretary of the Komsomol committee of the university. The second stage (1942–1945) was conditioned by the Great Patriotic War, during which, after graduating from military school, he showed heroism defending the Soviet Homeland. The talent of the prominent Soviet and Russian historian Vasily Dmitrievich Dimitriev was fully revealed in the post-war period. Completing his studies at the Chuvash Pedagogical Institute, working at the Chuvash Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, and studying at the postgraduate training program of Lomonosov Moscow State University gave a powerful impetus to his organizational, scientific and pedagogical activities, which significantly influenced the effectiveness of his research practices in studying the medieval history problems of the Chuvash people and the Chuvash Region. An assessment of the historian’s scientific heritage and his contribution to the development of historical education in Chuvashia in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the 21st century is also presented. Conclusions. The role of V.D. Dimitriev in the development of the Chuvash Research Institute of Language, Literature, History and Economics, historical education in Chuvashia in the modern period is revealed. He is proved to be one of the leaders of historian’s scientific school of the Chuvash Republic.

НАСЛЕДИЕ В.К. АРСЕНЬЕВА И ПРАКТИКИ РАБОТЫ С НИМ В СФЕРЕ ПУБЛИЧНОЙ ИСТОРИИ (К ИТОГАМ ГОДА АРСЕНЬЕВА В РОССИИ)

The paper analyzes the work with the heritage of the famous traveler, scholar and writer Vladimir Arseniev performed by Arseniev Museum of Far East History.Based on modern concepts of public history, historical memory and heritage, the author characterizes the main events implemented by the museum during 2022 – Arseniev’s Year in Russia – and highlights the role of heritage as a tool for the formation of local identity.

Chinghiz Aitmatov’s Mythopoetic Picture of the World through the Context of Modern Stage Interpretations (In Russian)

The theatrical process in Central Asia is characterized by a common history of formation and development, basic principles and at the same time the originality and artistic heterogeneity of national theaters. A theater festival that is currently acquiring important significance as a space for dialogue between cultures serves as an indicator of its transformation in the region. Using the example of the winning performances of the VI International Theater Festival “Aitmatov and Theater” (2023), the mythopoetic picture of the world of Chinghiz Aitmatov is studied in the context of modern stage interpretations.The festival featured productions of prose rather than drama. This determined the features of the aesthetic structure of performances created within logocentric oriental cultures. The article analyzes the performances of Ulanmyrzha Karypbayev, one of the leading young directors in Central Asia. His productions such as “Borandy becket” (Station under Storm) and “Ak keme” (White Steamship) were among the best. They reveal the most characteristic features of U. Karypbayev as a director: a rich metaphorical system, theatrical polyphony, ritualization, grotesque, complex mise-en-scène. A large-scale play “Zhan pida” (Scaffold) directed by Nurkanat Zhakypbai current open the topics of historical memory, national identity and essential issues of existence. His stage interpretation is characterized by multi-layered visuals, exquisite plastic solutions, picturesque crowd scenes, a complex musical score, and a monologue principle in the acting performance. The directors Bair Badmayev and Gafur Mardanov created the story of Mother’s life path in the context of the national picture of the world in the stage versions of Mother Earth.The festival demonstrated a modern theatrical interpretation of Aitmatov’s works in Central Asia, characterized by leaving a usual path of words on stage and turning to more deeper interpretations. It is obvious that compositionally complex stage works are created with all components existing on an equal basis: words, stage action, scenography, rich plastic score, authentic musical sequence with performers on stage. Directors raise current issues, artistically comprehend reality and embody it in ideas, images, stage solutions that reflect the richness and diversity of the theatrical art in Central Asia.

Educar en memoria histórica y democrática a través de la educación patrimonial: el antipatrimonio

A decade ago we began a line of research on historical memory education that we have linked through controversial heritages with our work on heritage education, since heritage can be a carrier of memories of a conflictive nature. This article aims to be a review of the results of our research in this regard, proposing what heritage education can contribute, through anti-heritage, to the why, what and how of teaching historical memory, singularly in our country, but not exclusively. The relevant socio-environmental problems with which anti-heritage connects are linked to negative social values, discordant with democracy, human rights, peace and non-violence, hence its didactic potential for controversy, but also its difficulties for teaching and the learning; we will focus on disciplinary, didactic, curricular, textbooks and the development of critical thinking in students. Such difficulties and limitations have led many teachers, especially in our country, to choose to avoid teaching memory in formal education. Therefore, it is very necessary to introduce significant changes in the official curriculum and textbooks, but it is essential to improve classroom practices, because teachers have not been taught how to teach these topics. This training will help students learn critical thinking skills and educate themselves as citizens committed to the defense of Human Rights, peace and democratic coexistence.

Franquismo y memoria democrática: el continuo reto de la formación ciudadana en Secundaria

Promoting political education in young people, along with instilling democratic values, is essential in our students' classroom training. However, fifteen years after the implementation of Spain's law of historical memory and amidst years of debate on the necessity of building a democratic memory around our recent history, teachers continue to face challenges when teaching recent Spanish history, encompassing the Civil War, Franco's dictatorship, and the Transition. How do students interpret present-day events in relation to the historical curricular contents they have studied during Secondary and Baccalaureate education? This paper presents an approach to understanding the perceptions of students in the 1st and 2nd years of the Baccalaureate regarding current issues related to Francoism and democratic memory. The students had been exposed to the conceptual contents of this historical period during their 4th year of ESO and 2nd year of the Baccalaureate when the study was conducted. Our research relies on the analysis of three specific questions in a questionnaire designed to elucidate their perception of a pressing social problem, exemplified by the exhumation of Franco from The Valley of the Fallen. This approach seeks to shed light on key aspects of the teaching and learning of history, particularly in the context of secondary education.

Memory as a semiotic tool for formation of general human rights and the historical and national legal policy of the state

Remembering is positioned as a phenomenon that makes it possible to consolidate, preserve, and in the future - to reproduce the past experience of humanity and its repeated application in human life. The author demonstrates socially significant types of memory: historical memory, which preserves historical truth and even projects a historical need; social memory, which marks the values, findings, worldview institutions and guidelines of a social group as a certain symbolic capital; cultural memory, which includes the so- called "communicative tradition” of generations; the philosophical concept of memory, in which the processes of thinking, cognition and the spiritual essence of a person are reproduced. On this basis, it is proposed to develop memory as a semiotic device through which law as such and general human rights are formed, as well as the historical heritage of the nation and, accordingly, the nation­state. thus, it is about the importance of using the psychological method of memorization in the creation of law as a result of human thinking and understanding its impact on legal awareness and legal behavior; about demonstrating the influence of socio-cultural features and their ability to provide their own psychological strength of the history of the people; on proving that norms of behavior (in particular, rights) are born in the psyche of a person, are the result of his mental activity, and, accordingly, form the content, essence, meaning of the national legal policy with the reproduction of certain signals, signs, codes, messages intended for transmission, processing and storage (memorization) of various information of the people and the nation. That is, the position is substantiated that legal signs (archetypes, universals, symbols and other semiotic elements) are designed to preserve the national peculiarity and originality of legal culture, to form legal traditions as the basis of the legal policy of the state.

Транслирующая функция экскурсии как нарратива культуры

The article delves into the analysis of the broadcasting function of the excursion, considered within the frame-work of an interdisciplinary approach as a cultural narrative. The relevance of the study is due to the expansion of the functions of the excursion beyond the scope of educational and outreach activities. As part of the narra-tive approach, the excursion acts as a broadcaster of historical and cultural memory based on a specially con-structed narrative. Research methodology is based on the peculiarities of the nature of narration in the context of A. Toynbee’s concept of “narrative history”. The understanding of history proposed in this concept as a com-pleted process that needs interpretation brings the excursion story closer to the narrative. The work analyzes the main views on the essence of excursion and narrative, which allows to draw a conclusion about their related nature, as well as to derive a special excursion narrative, understood as a narrative consisting of a number of sequentially presented historical facts and events and their interpretations on the basis of political, cultural, economic, educational and other contexts. It is emphasized that the broadcasting function of an excursion as a narrative is manifested in the possibility of immersion in a certain era or event, contact with the past, and its comprehension.

Организация и порядок подготовки партийно-советских кадров в высших партийных школах КПСС в 1965–1975 гг. (на материалах Ленинградской высшей партийной школы)

This article expands the existing knowledge about the activities of party schools in the Soviet Union and the conditions for organizing the training of party and Soviet personnel. The study is based on the axiological ap-proach, which focuses on analyzing the reasons for the functioning of political regimes, and analyzing archival documents of the Leningrad Higher Party School (LSES), which have not been previously studied in the do-mestic literature. The Higher Party School as an educational organization providing training for Party-Soviet cadres was an intermediary institution in the maintenance of the political regime in the USSR. The implementa-tion of this intermediation took place through three aspects: the formation of the organizational foundations of the activity of the LSES; the reproduction of historical memory, which included “scientific mimicry”; and ele-ments of control in the organization of LSES activity. The study shows that the leadership and teaching staff of the LVPS played in the period 1965–1975 an important role in forming the frame for the professional training of party and Soviet personnel, often acting autonomously from the directives of the CPSU.

THE ROLE OF THE HISTORICAL MEMORY OF ETHNIC GROUPS OF THE REPUBLIC IN STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL POLICY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article analyzes the history of repressed peoples, which became the basis for the consolidation of Kazakhstan's society, the role and significance of the historical memory of the republic's population in the progressive development of the state. The study analyzes the reasons for the departure of representatives of different ethnic groups during the period of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The paper considers the search of the state and scientists for those social and political basis that served as a unifying foundation in the construction of a new national policy and strengthening the citizenship of the population of the republic. The sources for the study and the evidence base of the study were the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, statistical materials reflecting the dynamics of emigration of people from the country in the 1990s, specific measures taken by the state leadership to unite the inhabitants of our country and stabilize ethno-demographic and ethno-political processes. It is concluded that the tragic pages of the history of ethnic groups of Kazakhstan, historical memory has become the basis for consolidating the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the present stage.

Етноісторичні мотиви (сюжети) в музичному мистецтві України другої половини 18 – початку 19 століття

The purpose of the article is to study ethno-historical motifs in the musical art of Ukraine in the second half of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with a special emphasis on folk art and its influence on the development of orchestral, choral and individual musical performances. The article examines the cultural and social changes of this era and their impact on the evolution of kobza and bandura art, which served not only as a means of musical expression but also as an important element of preserving national identity and historical memory. The article describes in detail the ethno-historical motifs that were manifested through musical art, reflecting social moods, historical events and the heroic past of the nation. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the interaction of folk traditions with professional art forms, revealing the richness and diversity of folk art of that time. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach to the study of historical, musical and cultural aspects, using archival documents and scientific sources, which allows a comprehensive assessment of the influence of ethno-historical motifs on the formation of the cultural landscape of Ukraine in the period under study. Particular attention is paid to the role of kobzars and bandura players, who, by performing historical and contemporary themes, contributed to the preservation of national identity and the reproduction of cultural heritage. The scientific novelty of the study lies in an in-depth analysis of the contribution of musical groups and individual performers to the development of the region’s art, with an emphasis on their interaction with folk traditions and professional music in the context of historical and cultural processes. Conclusions. The emphasise the importance of studying ethno-historical motifs in the musical art of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as key elements in the formation of Ukraine’s cultural identity, pointing to the need for further research in this area to better understand the role of musical art in the contemporary cultural context.

Overcoming a stigmatic past: National Central University students in Nanjing, China, and the politics of wartime history

Abstract The Japanese empire’s occupation of China during the Second World War left a complex and bitter legacy in postwar Chinese society. This article examines the occupation and its legacies at the grassroots, taking university students in Nanjing as a case study in occupation history and ‘bottom-up’ wartime commemoration. These young people, who studied at National Central University (NCU) under the Japanese-backed Reorganized National Government of Wang Jingwei, organized three protest movements between 1940 and 1945, defying puppet authorities, Japanese forces, and, after the war, the returning Chongqing Nationalist government, as they campaigned against corruption, opium sales, and discriminatory treatment over their status as ‘bogus students’ who supposedly received Japanese ‘enslavement education’ from a collaborationist regime. In the 1980s, after decades of marginalization under the People’s Republic of China, these former protestors began holding reunions, documenting their experiences, and campaigning for recognition from Nanjing University, which eventually recognized them as alumni. Drawing primarily on privately printed alumni memoirs and commemorative volumes, this article positions the protests in the history of youth activism in Nanjing. That NCU students were able to rehabilitate themselves was due to their own organizational prowess and a sympathetic reception from the leadership of a cash-strapped Nanjing University, though the interests of fellow alumnus Jiang Zemin and the Communist Party-state still set the parameters of historical memory. In this, the example of the Nanjing students complicates the top-down role of the state, as described in much previous scholarship on Chinese wartime commemoration, in producing politically motivated nationalist narratives of wartime history.

CONCEPTS OF "THE STATE OF NOMADIC UZBEKS" AND "CHAGATAI ULUS" IN THE POLICY OF NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION OF UZBEKISTAN

Nation-building is considered as a way of opposing centrifugal forces, in order to preserve the civil identity of multinational states. In modern science, the process of nation-building is associated with «identity», «identification», mainly implying civil and political identity. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all countries began an active search for their own identity as the basis of nation-building, and this search is largely connected with history. Historical memory plays the role not only of preserving and transmitting information, but also of an ideological component - the unifier of an ethnos, a civil nation with the state into a single whole. The state as a subject of nation-building introduces ideologically actualized historical concepts into the historical consciousness of the nation. These concepts are actively introduced into a wide public discourse, where a special role is assigned to the scientific community. Based on the analysis of scientific works and discursive data, an attempt is made to show the place and role of the concepts «Chagatai ulus» and «state of nomadic Uzbeks» in the nation-building process of modern Uzbekistan. The article shows the content and meaning of these concepts, the trends of their development both in the official scientific environment and in the broad public discourse.