IDENTITY AND MEMORY POLITICS: THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NATIONAL NARRATIVE FORMATION

Abstract

This article is devoted to a philosophical analysis of the relationship between collective memory, memory politics, and the formation of national narratives in contemporary Ukraine. The study focuses on memory as a multilayered sociocultural phenomenon that structures the meanings of collective experience and delineates the horizons of political subjectivity. It is argued that memory politics functions not only as an institutional mechanism for selecting and interpreting historical events, but also as a tool of identity construction through which society legitimizes its values, self-understanding models, and national priorities.
Special attention is given to the transformation of Ukrainian memory politics under the conditions of the Russian – Ukrainian war, which has become a catalyst for profound decolonial, ethical, and symbolic reconfigurations of historical discourse. The integration of traumatic experiences, the renewed emphasis on the struggle for freedom, the mediatization of commemorative practices, and the emergence of new “sites of memory” all contribute to strengthening national unity and restoring historical subjectivity.
It is emphasized that contemporary Ukrainian memory politics increasingly functions as an instrument of cultural resistance capable of counteracting imperial manipulations and sustaining national identity. Furthermore, the formation of national narratives during wartime is accompanied by the emergence of new ethical meanings rooted in solidarity, sacrifice, and civic responsibility. This process expands the concept of collective memory, which increasingly incorporates elements of lived testimony, documentation of atrocities, and preservation of eyewitness accounts – forming new foundations of historical truth and moral witnessing. The analysis demonstrates that such an approach fosters a future-oriented vision that integrates historical continuity with modern democratic values.