Donbas: Memory of the Region and Regions of Memory

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The panel explores the phenomenon of memory in Donbas as a space at the crossroads of historical, political and socio-cultural transformations. The region, which has become a battleground for narratives, has experienced numerous shifts in understanding its past and its place in the history of Ukraine. The occupation of Donbas has radically transformed its social and cultural space and restructured memory practices. This has posed a difficult task for Ukraine: on the one hand, to resist Russia’s attempts to colonize the region’s past and future, and on the other, to prevent the cultural trauma of war from being forgotten in Ukrainian society. Addressing these challenges requires non-linear strategies that combine historical narratives, identity practices and grassroots democratic activism. The panel will allow us to trace how the past of Donbas is used to shape its modern image, what challenges face researchers of regional memory in the context of war and population displacement, and what mechanisms can contribute to preserving historical continuity and resistance to cognitive war.

Sub Unit

• History: Since 1990

Chair

• John Vsetecka, Nova Southeastern U

Papers

• Reconstruction of Pre/War Donbas in the Memories of Internally Displaced Persons - Tetiana Klynina, National Aviation U (Ukraine)

• Memory and Identity in Donbas: The Battle of Narratives in 2004-2014 - Serhii Stukanov, Center for Content Analysis (Ukraine)

• Beyond Identities: Disintegration of Public Transport Activists' Community in the Donetsk Region after 2014 - Andrei Vazyanau, European Humanities U (Lithuania)

• Witnesses of Mariupol Siege: A Case Study of City Media Channels - Mariya Rohozha, Taras Shevchenko National U of Kyiv (Ukraine)

Discussant

• Yevhenii Monastyrskyi, Harvard U