Historical and cultural heritage of Southern Ukraine: challenges during the modern Russian-Ukrainian war

Abstract

The article explores the historiographical receptions of Southern Ukraine; characterizes the specifics of the region as an arena of the «battle for memory» and manifestations of conscientious war – an element of the war of the russian federation against Ukraine. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the historical and cultural heritage is a component of national memory, a resource for Ukrainians to resist Russian aggression.

The objectives of the article are to update research on the historical and cultural heritage of Southern Ukraine as an important factor in the formation of national identity, to substantiate the practical importance of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the region in the context of national security. The research is based on the principles of systems, historicism and interdisciplinary and special-historical methods are applied: historiographical analysis, historical and comparative.

The work draws attention to the successful efforts of historians and journalists to popularize the past of Southern Ukraine in the context of Ukrainian history, which shape public receptions of the history of Southern Ukraine.

The scientific novelty of the work lies in the actualization and consideration of the historical and cultural heritage of Southern Ukraine in the context of a large-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. The study confirms that Southern Ukraine is an original historical region. This was influenced by multinationality and the Cossack mentality.

It is proven that the latest conscientious war of the Russian Federation is accompanied by unprecedented targeted destruction, plunder of the historical and cultural heritage of Southern Ukraine. It is worth mentioning separately the destruction of monuments of immovable cultural heritage as a result of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. The scale of losses of monuments of historical and cultural heritage is analyzed. The importance of heritage preservation for the state is substantiated, which requires the evacuation of values, and the creation of a base for recording losses. The study emphasizes the need for cultural diplomacy and a coordinated heritage protection policy as part of Ukraine's national security strategy.