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While the politics of memory and the way through which some versions and interpretations of history become prioritised in official political discourses have engaged a broad range of actors in the past, it is in the most traumatic moments of history such as today in Ukraine that they are particularly in flux, with old sites of memory acquiring new layers of meaning and new ones emerging from the sites of war and destruction.
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Ukraine flag
If historians are, however, to actively partake in the formulation of new memory politics in Ukraine and elsewhere, can they rely on historical examples of how hegemonic historical narratives have been formulated in the past? This workshop will consider such examples broadly ranging from medieval to contemporary times. How have historical landscapes been imbued with complex and conflicting meanings through history? How have medieval histories been retold to suit modern political agendas? What versions of the modern national 'success story' were prioritised and for what purposes? What is the role of historians, historical institutes, artists, museum curators, civil activists and the media in interpreting and promoting a specific version of the past? Ultimately, will understanding memory politics and the politics of history lead to a better understanding of the power of the past?