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Tagged: Monuments

Drawing of Putin.

Dismantling Matter: Ukraine’s Attempts to Decolonize its Culture

By Nadiia Honcharenko. In Ukraine, there has been a strong public demand that certain elements of heritage should be removed from public space, as they contain distinct symbols of colonial and totalitarian domination and therefore aggravate the sense of trauma that Ukrainians are currently experiencing, as well as increase the pain of grief and loss caused by Russian aggression. This demand can be seen as both, reason and result of Ukraine’s struggle to reject the false and deeply violent so-called ‘brotherhood’ between Ukrainian and Russian society. Two main trends are evident: The desire of Ukrainians to free themselves from Russian shackles on one side and the attempts of the Russian political regime to slow this desire down, or even prevent it, on the other side.

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.

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.

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.