Mariia Kravchenko- Revolutions in Ukraine and the Struggle with Russia Empire over Historical Memory

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not just about territory and resources,
though they play a part. It’s also a struggle to control historical
memory. Russia seeks to simplify history writing, teaching, and
mythology down to a few selective narratives that support its current
political structure and imperial revanchism. Ukrainian history is
complex, messy and offers an alternative take on Russian and Soviet
mythology and undermines its propaganda. Ukraine’s struggle is one for
identify, culture, language and even survival, but its also a struggle
to retain the right to question and reshape historical narratives and
tell alternative stories that don’t fit neatly into an imperial Russian
worldview.

Mariia Kravchenko is Program Coordinator for the Fulbright Program in
Ukraine and a former Junior Researcher at the World History Institute,
NANU. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the oldest and most
prestigious international program for the exchange of scholars and
students funded by the United States government. Today it supports
academic exchanges with 155 countries of the world.