Memory As a Deadly Weapon: Mnemonic Colonization of the Occupied Ukraine

• In Event: Memory Politics in Times of the Russia-Ukraine War

Abstract

Since the beginning of Vladimir Putin’s third presidential term in 2012, the regime has actively engaged in political manipulation of historical memory to maintain stability. This manipulation escalated further in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Memory is now instrumentalized to justify the ongoing war. Moreover, the Kremlin’s memory politics now targets the population in Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine. This paper explores the Kremlin’s “mnemonic colonization” of Ukraine - the forging and promoting a specific historical memory to legitimize the occupation and indoctrinate Ukrainians. The focus is on the activities of the Russian Military Historical Society in occupied Ukraine.

Author

• Ekaterina V. Klimenko, Woodrow Wilson Center, Kennan Inst