Digital historical memory as a component of collective memory

Abstract

The study of the content and specific features of the functioning of historical memory in contemporary Ukrainian society is an important scholarly task, since this phenomenon plays a key role in the processes of nation- and state-building, the preservation of traditional and the formation of new national values, and the determination of the political future of Ukrainian statehood and the Ukrainian nation.

Digital historical memory is a new and dynamic phenomenon in contemporary humanities that is formed within the digital space and ensures the recording, preservation, and transmission of historical events through digital media. It functions as a particular dimension of collective memory in which historical experience, cultural narratives, and social practices are reflected, transformed, and disseminated through digital platforms, social networks, and media resources. In the context of war, digital memory acquires special significance, as it serves as a means of documenting events, mobilizing public attention, and shaping collective narratives of the conflict.

Digital memory, as a component of collective memory, acts as a key mechanism for recording, constructing, and transmitting historical experience under contemporary wartime conditions. It integrates individual narratives into a shared digital space, forms a multilayered system of meanings, and fulfills the sociocultural function of preserving historical memory amid constant informational dynamics.

The article employs source-study methods that facilitate the identification and systematization of memes as documentary units of digital culture, as well as methods of digital humanities, including the analysis of data from social networks, online platforms, and Telegram channels.

The processed research findings contribute significantly to a deeper understanding of how digital cultural practices influence the formation of national identity and collective memory in the context of modern war. The study generalizes memes as a mechanism for constructing collective narratives and reflecting historical experience within the digital space.