War, Memorialisation, and Digitality : Mnemonic Practices of Ukrainian Virtual Museums in the Russian War against Ukraine
Graf, Sebastian LU
(2025)
- Abstract
- This interdisciplinary thesis examines the nexus of memory, war, and digitality in
the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since 2014, the unfolding Russian
war against Ukraine has epitomised how rapid technological developments have
profoundly altered the ways in which warfare is depicted, perceived, and waged in
today’s world. These transformations have enabled new forms of engagement with
war, including shaping war memories in digital spaces. In this thesis, I follow three
Ukrainian virtual war museums: Meta History: Museum of War, Virtual Museum of
War Memory, and War Fragments Museum to qualitatively investigate digital
practices of mediation and memorialisation of this unfolding... (More) - This interdisciplinary thesis examines the nexus of memory, war, and digitality in
the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since 2014, the unfolding Russian
war against Ukraine has epitomised how rapid technological developments have
profoundly altered the ways in which warfare is depicted, perceived, and waged in
today’s world. These transformations have enabled new forms of engagement with
war, including shaping war memories in digital spaces. In this thesis, I follow three
Ukrainian virtual war museums: Meta History: Museum of War, Virtual Museum of
War Memory, and War Fragments Museum to qualitatively investigate digital
practices of mediation and memorialisation of this unfolding war.
Applying an ecological and relational understanding of memory and warfare, the
thesis considers the Ukrainian virtual war museums not simply as passive objects
upon which meanings are inscribed. Rather, these museums are approached as
actors within a museum front that partake in the war effort not only by documenting
and recording war, but also by supporting it through evoking affect among visitors.
The three case studies that shape this thesis shed light on different aspects of the
mnemonic practices evidenced in three virtual museums. Study I maps the emerging
Meta History: Museum of War to analyse the production and formation of war
memories. Study II seeks to highlight the ways Ukrainian virtual museums construct
visions of futures and/or non-futures, whereas Study III investigates how museum
visitors engage with each museum’s exhibitions.
Together, by analysing the formation, production, and perception of mnemonic
practices, this work enables a more complex grasp of the Ukrainian (digital)
memory culture revolving around recent violent past(s) and present(s). Furthermore,
with their focus on Ukrainian virtual war museums, these studies reveal how
processes of digitalisation and datafication in today’s post-digital world mediate and
construct memory, actively shaping what is remembered and what is forgotten.
Anchored in the Ukrainian context, this thesis offers both theoretical and
methodological insights into memorialisation at a time when digitality is
omnipresent and war and crisis are ongoing. In doing so, it contributes to (digital)
memory studies, history, and museum studies in Eastern Europe and beyond. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2b73bde9-6b38-4a04-9472-2c881b5c08cc
- author
- Graf, Sebastian
LU
- supervisor
-
- Per Anders Rudling LU
- Ulf Zander LU
- opponent
-
- professor Donovan, Victoria, University of St Andrews
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-10-09
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Ukraine, war, virtual war museums, history, memory studies, future memories, virtual go-along, affective encounters, virtuality, digitality
- pages
- 238 pages
- publisher
- Department of History, Lund university
- defense location
- sal C121, LUX, Helgonavägen 3, Lund
- defense date
- 2025-11-07 13:15:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-90055-21-2
- 978-91-90055-20-5
- project
- War, Memorialisation, and Digitality: Mnemonic Practices of Ukrainian Virtual Museums in the Russian War against Ukraine
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 2b73bde9-6b38-4a04-9472-2c881b5c08cc
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-02 11:33:39
- date last changed
- 2025-10-10 03:30:28
@phdthesis{2b73bde9-6b38-4a04-9472-2c881b5c08cc,
abstract = {{This interdisciplinary thesis examines the nexus of memory, war, and digitality in<br/>the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since 2014, the unfolding Russian<br/>war against Ukraine has epitomised how rapid technological developments have<br/>profoundly altered the ways in which warfare is depicted, perceived, and waged in<br/>today’s world. These transformations have enabled new forms of engagement with<br/>war, including shaping war memories in digital spaces. In this thesis, I follow three<br/>Ukrainian virtual war museums: Meta History: Museum of War, Virtual Museum of<br/>War Memory, and War Fragments Museum to qualitatively investigate digital<br/>practices of mediation and memorialisation of this unfolding war.<br/><br/>Applying an ecological and relational understanding of memory and warfare, the<br/>thesis considers the Ukrainian virtual war museums not simply as passive objects<br/>upon which meanings are inscribed. Rather, these museums are approached as<br/>actors within a museum front that partake in the war effort not only by documenting<br/>and recording war, but also by supporting it through evoking affect among visitors.<br/>The three case studies that shape this thesis shed light on different aspects of the<br/>mnemonic practices evidenced in three virtual museums. Study I maps the emerging<br/>Meta History: Museum of War to analyse the production and formation of war<br/>memories. Study II seeks to highlight the ways Ukrainian virtual museums construct<br/>visions of futures and/or non-futures, whereas Study III investigates how museum<br/>visitors engage with each museum’s exhibitions.<br/><br/>Together, by analysing the formation, production, and perception of mnemonic<br/>practices, this work enables a more complex grasp of the Ukrainian (digital)<br/>memory culture revolving around recent violent past(s) and present(s). Furthermore,<br/>with their focus on Ukrainian virtual war museums, these studies reveal how<br/>processes of digitalisation and datafication in today’s post-digital world mediate and<br/>construct memory, actively shaping what is remembered and what is forgotten.<br/>Anchored in the Ukrainian context, this thesis offers both theoretical and<br/>methodological insights into memorialisation at a time when digitality is<br/>omnipresent and war and crisis are ongoing. In doing so, it contributes to (digital)<br/>memory studies, history, and museum studies in Eastern Europe and beyond.}},
author = {{Graf, Sebastian}},
isbn = {{978-91-90055-21-2}},
keywords = {{Ukraine; war; virtual war museums; history; memory studies; future memories; virtual go-along; affective encounters; virtuality; digitality}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
publisher = {{Department of History, Lund university}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{War, Memorialisation, and Digitality : Mnemonic Practices of Ukrainian Virtual Museums in the Russian War against Ukraine}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/228968932/Sebastian_Graf_-_Kappa_-_electronic.pdf}},
year = {{2025}},
}