The “Bandera Debate” : The Contentious Legacy of World War II and Liberalization of Collective Memory in Western Ukraine
Narvselius, Eleonora LU
(2012)
In Canadian Slavonic Papers
54(3-4).
p.61-83
- Abstract
- This article explores the core propositions articulated by several public actors in the so-called Bandera debate, i.e., discussions about the usable past and legacy of the wartime Ukrainian nationalist insurgency and its central symbolic figure, Stepan Bandera. In Western Ukraine, popular historical imagery as well as intellectual polemics about “Ukrainization” of World War II challenged both the Soviet myth of the Great Patriotic War and the European model of politics of regret. Correspondingly, one of the main ideas conveyed during the Bandera debate in Western Ukraine was the necessity of liberalization of the national politics of memory, i.e., the process of opening the political discourses and public debate to a circulation of diverse... (More)
- This article explores the core propositions articulated by several public actors in the so-called Bandera debate, i.e., discussions about the usable past and legacy of the wartime Ukrainian nationalist insurgency and its central symbolic figure, Stepan Bandera. In Western Ukraine, popular historical imagery as well as intellectual polemics about “Ukrainization” of World War II challenged both the Soviet myth of the Great Patriotic War and the European model of politics of regret. Correspondingly, one of the main ideas conveyed during the Bandera debate in Western Ukraine was the necessity of liberalization of the national politics of memory, i.e., the process of opening the political discourses and public debate to a circulation of diverse voices and narratives concerning the national past, a circulation unrestrained by political pressure. Generally, however, wartime events and figures continue to be presented in line with dichotomous national discourses. As the example of a chain of restaurants exploiting the theme of World War II demonstrates, one-dimensional interpretations of the contentious past suggested to the public by the actors involved in the commercialization of historical knowledge may have far-reaching, unpredictable implications. This is especially true in the post-Orange Western Ukraine where politics—including politics of memory—is increasingly determined by ultra-right forces such as VO Svoboda. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3348499
- author
- Narvselius, Eleonora
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- memory studies, Stepan Bandera, Western Ukraine, WWII, politics of memory
- in
- Canadian Slavonic Papers
- volume
- 54
- issue
- 3-4
- pages
- 61 - 83
- publisher
- Princeton University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85029572877
- ISSN
- 0008-5006
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ee1b171e-c27f-44c0-a901-7dab7af996a4 (old id 3348499)
- alternative location
- https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/csparxiv/ToCs/2012_54_3-4_ToC.php
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:36:57
- date last changed
- 2024-06-06 17:40:10
@article{ee1b171e-c27f-44c0-a901-7dab7af996a4,
abstract = {{This article explores the core propositions articulated by several public actors in the so-called Bandera debate, i.e., discussions about the usable past and legacy of the wartime Ukrainian nationalist insurgency and its central symbolic figure, Stepan Bandera. In Western Ukraine, popular historical imagery as well as intellectual polemics about “Ukrainization” of World War II challenged both the Soviet myth of the Great Patriotic War and the European model of politics of regret. Correspondingly, one of the main ideas conveyed during the Bandera debate in Western Ukraine was the necessity of liberalization of the national politics of memory, i.e., the process of opening the political discourses and public debate to a circulation of diverse voices and narratives concerning the national past, a circulation unrestrained by political pressure. Generally, however, wartime events and figures continue to be presented in line with dichotomous national discourses. As the example of a chain of restaurants exploiting the theme of World War II demonstrates, one-dimensional interpretations of the contentious past suggested to the public by the actors involved in the commercialization of historical knowledge may have far-reaching, unpredictable implications. This is especially true in the post-Orange Western Ukraine where politics—including politics of memory—is increasingly determined by ultra-right forces such as VO Svoboda.}},
author = {{Narvselius, Eleonora}},
issn = {{0008-5006}},
keywords = {{memory studies; Stepan Bandera; Western Ukraine; WWII; politics of memory}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3-4}},
pages = {{61--83}},
publisher = {{Princeton University Press}},
series = {{Canadian Slavonic Papers}},
title = {{The “Bandera Debate” : The Contentious Legacy of World War II and Liberalization of Collective Memory in Western Ukraine}},
url = {{https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/csparxiv/ToCs/2012_54_3-4_ToC.php}},
volume = {{54}},
year = {{2012}},
}