Heritage and Memory in Ukraine, 2022

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Archaeology, Memory, and Politics in the 2020s: Changes in Methods, Narratives, and Access", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Since the war's start, UNESCO reports that over 150 cultural sites have been partially or totally destroyed in Ukraine. This destruction of cultural heritage was discussed at the UN Security Council; expeditions were sent to investigate the scale of damage and further steps on safeguarding and reconstruction.

While the war is ongoing, the necessity of urgent response emerged. The first grassroots steps of protection (mainly chaotic and unsystematic) revealed what Ukrainians held most valuable.

The war highlighted the clash in comprehension of Soviet heritage: on one hand, destruction/reconstruction of Soviet monuments marked the territory of ideological influence; on the other hand, memorial complexes, some created by famous Ukrainian artists, eventually became a part of Ukrainian cities' cultural landscape.

The issue of “historic” value is challenged because, in Ukraine, “history” is what is happening now. It creates a background for new practices of memorialization and museumification of contemporary events and artifacts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeology, Memory, and Politics in the 2020s: Changes in Methods, Narratives, and Access   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow