Destruction of Cult Buildings in Kharkiv during the Russian Military Aggression: Public Perception and Rethinking of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The article considers the ways in which public reaction to the destruction of cult buildings in Kharkiv during the full-scale Russian invasion is reflected in Ukrainian-language online media. The author examines how the religious nature of a cultural heritage object affects the perception of its destruction, how the significance of cult objects is reinterpreted in this situation, and to what extent the destruction of cult objects combines religious, ethnonational, and other connotations. Drawing on the theoretical studies of cultural memory by Aleida Assmann, the author establishes which factors influence the actualization of particular aspects of the history of damaged cult objects in the mass media. It is noted that, despite the fairly high level of secularization in Ukrainian society, the collective imagination continues to perceive churches and other religious buildings as sacred objects, the destruction of which is seen as a blasphemous act. The artistic and historical significance of damaged cult objects is actualized much less often in the texts the author analyzes. This is in line with the tendencies described by José Casanova as part of the theory of postsecularism. The specific denominational affiliation of damaged religious buildings remains of secondary importance to the mass media, which may be interpreted as a manifestation of “spontaneous religiosity,” in which the sacral nature of cult objects is recognized, but without serious reflection, awareness of denominational boundaries, or regular immersion in spiritual practices. Furthermore, in this way, respect for believers of different confessions is demonstrated: the special significance of cult objects is recognized first and foremost because of their significance for others. The article also considers the impact of the religious affiliation of cult objects on the ways in which damage done to them is reported in some Ukrainian media.