The Role of Historical Museums in Overcoming the Traumatic Past
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Nataliіa Bulanova
Abstracts
The article considers issues related to the discourse of the traumatic past in the twentieth century history of Ukraine and features of its treatment in regional historical museums of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The historiographical review highlights the main developments of “trauma studies” and identifies the historiographical gap in investigating the problem of overcoming the tragic events experienced in Ukraine in the twentieth century with the help of historical museums. The history of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, the time of Brezhnev’s rule, and the current Russian-Ukrainian war is comprehensively revealed in the historical museums of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Museums have been found to follow the trend of dealing with the trauma of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 by creating exhibitions, expositions and communication with visitors about the complex past in order to reinterpret it and disengage from destructive impact. Nostalgia for the Soviet era can be traced in Ukrainian society as a reaction to trauma in the Post-Soviet period. This is specifically true of the L. I. Brezhnev rule, largely due to the impact that the aggressive propaganda of contemporary totalitarian advocates has had on ordinary citizens. Displaying of the exhibition project of the Kamianske Museum of History “Battle of memories: Myths and realities of the Soviet era” and the peculiarities of the visitor’s reactions have been subject to analysis. The work of museums in mastering the traumatic present of the current Russian-Ukrainian war is discussed. Conclusions are made about the important mission of museums in public reconciliation regarding the contradictory and vulnerable pages of historical memory (of the past), the formation of national identity.
Abstracts
The article considers issues related to the discourse of the traumatic past in the twentieth century history of Ukraine and features of its treatment in regional historical museums of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The historiographical review highlights the main developments of “trauma studies” and identifies the historiographical gap in investigating the problem of overcoming the tragic events experienced in Ukraine in the twentieth century with the help of historical museums. The history of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, the time of Brezhnev’s rule, and the current Russian-Ukrainian war is comprehensively revealed in the historical museums of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Museums have been found to follow the trend of dealing with the trauma of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 by creating exhibitions, expositions and communication with visitors about the complex past in order to reinterpret it and disengage from destructive impact. Nostalgia for the Soviet era can be traced in Ukrainian society as a reaction to trauma in the Post-Soviet period. This is specifically true of the L. I. Brezhnev rule, largely due to the impact that the aggressive propaganda of contemporary totalitarian advocates has had on ordinary citizens. Displaying of the exhibition project of the Kamianske Museum of History “Battle of memories: Myths and realities of the Soviet era” and the peculiarities of the visitor’s reactions have been subject to analysis. The work of museums in mastering the traumatic present of the current Russian-Ukrainian war is discussed. Conclusions are made about the important mission of museums in public reconciliation regarding the contradictory and vulnerable pages of historical memory (of the past), the formation of national identity.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Between Wikipedia and a Museum: Historical Narrative “Tools”
- Memory Politics and the Study of Crises in International Relations: Insights from Ukraine and Lithuania 11
- Local Memory, International Conflicts: Case Study of the Katyn Memorial in Jersey City, USA 41
- Sources of International Conflicts in Contemporary and Historical Context as a Threat to the Global Democratic and Liberal Order: Causes of Occurrence and Ways of Eradication 59
- The Role of Historical Museums in Overcoming the Traumatic Past 77
- Wiki-History of Crimea: Ukrainian and Russian Versions 91
- The Problem of Preserving Monumental Objects of Art during Contemporary International Conflicts (on the Example of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict) 105
-
From Different Perspectives: History as an Instrument of Politics
- Historically Charged Conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh between War and Diplomatic Failure 119
- History as an Instrument of Continuing Indo-Pakistan Rivalry from 1947 till 2021 139
- National History as Tools of Installing National Borders in Central Asia Countries 157
- Belgium – Its Neighbours and the Process from a Centralised to a Federalist State 165
- History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts: The Case of the Sudanese States 179
- The Comparison of Russian Propaganda: From the Years 1917–1921 to Nowadays 193
- List of Contributors 209
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Between Wikipedia and a Museum: Historical Narrative “Tools”
- Memory Politics and the Study of Crises in International Relations: Insights from Ukraine and Lithuania 11
- Local Memory, International Conflicts: Case Study of the Katyn Memorial in Jersey City, USA 41
- Sources of International Conflicts in Contemporary and Historical Context as a Threat to the Global Democratic and Liberal Order: Causes of Occurrence and Ways of Eradication 59
- The Role of Historical Museums in Overcoming the Traumatic Past 77
- Wiki-History of Crimea: Ukrainian and Russian Versions 91
- The Problem of Preserving Monumental Objects of Art during Contemporary International Conflicts (on the Example of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict) 105
-
From Different Perspectives: History as an Instrument of Politics
- Historically Charged Conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh between War and Diplomatic Failure 119
- History as an Instrument of Continuing Indo-Pakistan Rivalry from 1947 till 2021 139
- National History as Tools of Installing National Borders in Central Asia Countries 157
- Belgium – Its Neighbours and the Process from a Centralised to a Federalist State 165
- History as an Instrument of Contemporary International Conflicts: The Case of the Sudanese States 179
- The Comparison of Russian Propaganda: From the Years 1917–1921 to Nowadays 193
- List of Contributors 209
