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Category: War, Migration and Memory

The unprecedented Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine brought the recent conflicts over memory in East Central Europe and in Ukraine to the attention of an international audience. Mass displacement also exposed millions of Ukrainians to new challenges that triggered intensive reinterpretations of the past – both the distant and the very recent – and a reevaluation of their memory through new experiences. This series aims to reach beyond the dimension of the politics of history and examine how cultural, collective, and individual memories are reshaped when used for interpreting the shocking realities of the current war. Additionally, it intends to study how memory is mobilized on a personal and collective level to deal with the ruptures and threats posed by this war and in an attempt to explain what is happening. This series stems from the research project “War, Migration and Memory” directed by Viktoria Sereda and conducted through the Prisma Ukraïna program at the Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin. Contributions will include texts written by the project’s current fellows. We also invite further contributions that touch on these issues, or open them up from a comparative perspective. Please send proposals to prisma@trafo-berlin.de.

A two-part collage showing a rustic brick house with a blue door frame on the left, and on the right, a woman in an apron near an outdoor table with another person in a green garden setting.

A Body of Clay: The Vanishing Tradition of House-Building in the Donetsk Region

By Anton Dorokh. A traditional Ukrainian village house (khata) had one floor, white clay-and-wood walls, a hay-covered roof, and small windows. Is there something in this architectural tradition that can serve as a counterpoint to the Soviet narrative? Our family house, which was built in the same style, was destroyed, the ability to return there every summer taken away, and this article is an attempt to resist further dehumanisation and erasure. This purpose made me ask my grandmother questions I had never asked before, to learn histories I did not know as a kid, and I hope that by sharing them with other people I can spark curiosity toward other aspects of Ukrainian culture that are now being erased.

Street art of two birds with text reading "Stop war in Ukraine".

“Russia is Unequivocally a ‘Cannibal Country’”: How Ukrainian Officials Talk About the ‘Russian World’

By Liudmyla Pidkuimukha. What is the ‘Russian World’ – russkij mir – and how is it understood today from a Ukrainian perspective? Officially, this doctrine is built on a mix of shared language, culture, Orthodox Christianity, historical memory, and reverence for the so-called ‘Great Patriotic War’, often framed as the Soviet Union’s greatest victory. In Ukraine, this ideology has taken on a very different meaning in the shadow of the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian officials draw on powerful imagery to make sense of violence, occupation, and loss – and to challenge the narratives coming from Moscow.

War Memorials in Russian-Occupied Ukraine

By Denys Shatalov. The monuments we encounter in a territory tell us not so much about its past as about present ideology. The new study by Mischa Gabowitsch and Mykola Homanyuk, “Monuments and Territory. War Memorials in Russian-Occupied Ukraine” explores the fate of war memorials in the Russian-occupied territories during the first year of the ongoing full-scale war. The authors focus on war memorials honouring different eras and conflicts, from the medieval battle of Kalka to the Soviet War in Afghanistan and the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine (2014–2022), erected in Soviet times or during Ukrainian independence.

War, Migration, Memory: Perspectives on Russia’s War Against Ukraine – An Introduction

How does war reshape collective memory, migration, and identity? Read a preview of Viktoriya Sereda and Andrii Portnov’s introduction to the recently published anthology “War, Migration, Memory: Perspectives on Russia’s War Against Ukraine” exploring the ongoing impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It delves into questions of belonging, historical memory, and societal transformation through essays written by Ukrainian scholars amid war and displacement.

Радянська зброя на п’єдесталі. Військова техніка-пам’ятники під час російської війни в Україні – Частина 2

Денис Шаталов та Микола Гоманюк. В есе досліджується роль пам’ятників військовій техніці в Україні, особливо після повномасштабного вторгнення у 2022 році. Пам’ятники, такі як танки та бронемашини, розміщені на п’єдесталах, часто встановлені для вшанування радянських військових зусиль або демонстрації радянської влади, були перепрофільовані або зазнали впливу конфлікту, що триває. Автори досліджують, як ця радянська традиція меморіалізації переплелася з сучасною війною, використовуючи як історичний аналіз, так і польові спостереження, зосереджуючись на впливі війни на ці символічні структури.

Soviet Weaponry on a Pedestal: Military Equipment Monuments in the Time of the Russian War in Ukraine – Part 2

By Denys Shatalov and Mykola Homanyuk. The essay examines the role of military equipment monuments in Ukraine, particularly after the Full-Scale Invasion in 2022. Monuments, such as tanks and armored vehicles placed on pedestals, often erected to honor Soviet war efforts or display Soviet power, have been repurposed or impacted by the ongoing conflict. The authors explore how this Soviet tradition of memorialization has been intertwined with modern warfare, using both historical analysis and field observations, focusing on the war’s influence on these symbolic structures.

Радянська зброя на п’єдесталі. Військова техніка-пам’ятники під час російської війни в Україні – Частина 1

Денис Шаталов та Микола Гоманюк. В есе досліджується роль пам’ятників військовій техніці в Україні, зокрема під час російсько-української війни. Пам’ятники, такі як танки та бронемашини, розміщені на п’єдесталах, часто встановлені для вшанування радянських військових зусиль або демонстрації радянської влади, були перепрофільовані або зазнали впливу поточного конфлікту. Автори досліджують, як ця радянська традиція меморіалізації переплелася з сучасною війною, використовуючи як історичний аналіз, так і польові спостереження, зосереджуючись на впливі війни на ці символічні структури.

Soviet Weaponry on a Pedestal: Military Equipment Monuments in the Time of the Russian War in Ukraine – Part 1

By Denys Shatalov and Mykola Homanyuk. The essay examines the role of military equipment monuments in Ukraine, particularly during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Monuments, such as tanks and armored vehicles placed on pedestals, often erected to honor Soviet war efforts or display Soviet power, have been repurposed or impacted by the ongoing conflict. The authors explore how this Soviet tradition of memorialization has been intertwined with modern warfare, using both historical analysis and field observations, focusing on the war’s influence on these symbolic structures.

Dual-Intent Approach to Ukrainians Abroad: A Post-Script to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024

By Lidia Kuzemska. Berlin was an epicentre of Ukraine-focused events in June 2024. Apart from the massive Ukraine Recovery Conference with over 3400 participants gathered with the intent “to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine for as long as needed” (URC, 2024), numerous pre, side and post-events took place across the city. Smaller publics, targeted discussions and less scripted opinion exchanges were also a chance for Ukrainians abroad to reflect on their role in the recovery of their homeland.

War, Displacement and the Shifting Meaning of ‘Donbas’: Initial Findings from the Field

By Qianrui Hu. Although Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shocked the whole world, Russia’s war against Ukraine started already in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the military interventions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Eastern Ukraine. This blog post tries to unpack the dialectical relationship between war, migration, and memory, the central research theme at Prisma Ukraїna, from the perspective of the people who have been experiencing this war since 2014.