Transformation of the historical memory of society under the influence of modern military conflicts

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the dynamics of the transformation of historical memory as a strategic factor of national security in the context of modern military conflicts, with a special emphasis on the experience of Ukraine during the War of Independence. The relevance of the study is due to the active use of historical narratives as a tool of "soft power" and ideological manipulations that accompany global hybrid wars. The thesis is substantiated that historical identity is not a static formation. It is constantly adapting under the influence of the present, integrating collective experience, myths and symbols into a complex multivariate model of reality.

Methods. The paper uses the method of retrospective analysis to study the politics of memory in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (in particular, in Poland and Latvia), which allowed us to compare the institutional mechanisms for overcoming the consequences of the totalitarian past. A systematic approach was also used to analyze historical narratives as tools of “soft power” and ideological manipulation in global hybrid wars.

Results. A retrospective analysis of transformational processes regarding historical identity and memory policy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in particular in Poland and Latvia, was carried out. It is proven that the systemic state memory policy in these countries, aimed at decolonizing the symbolic space and overcoming the consequences of the totalitarian past, has become an effective foundation for strengthening state subjectivity and European integration. Special attention is paid to the comparative analysis of institutional mechanisms that allow society to balance between heroic narratives and a victim perception of the past, overcoming the inertia of the post-Soviet atomization of historical consciousness.

Special attention is paid to the Ukrainian context in the conditions of a full-scale war with Russia. It is determined that for Ukraine the issue of restoring historical identity in the Ukrainian-centric paradigm is critically important for countering the genocidal policy of the aggressor and leveling the destructive influence of the Russian imperial legacy. The need to form an institutionally designed system for protecting historical consciousness, which would combine scientific objectivity, education and state-building strategy, is proven.

Conclusions. Vectors for building a holistic narrative based on the experience of successful transformation of neighboring European states are formulated. It is concluded that the stability of national identity is achieved not only by dismantling totalitarian symbols, but through the development of a system capable of converting complex historical experience into a motivational resource for post-war reconstruction and the establishment of Ukraine as an equal participant in the European (broadly - global) civilizational space.