Ukrainian–Russian Relations in the Memory Spaces of Ukrainian Cities (1991–2024)

Abstract

The article explores the dynamics of Russo-Ukrainian relations through the lens of urban memory spaces in Ukraine from 1991 to 2024. It is stated that memorials, monuments, street names, and cultural heritage sites have become pivotal arenas for representing and transforming narratives on those relations. The aim is to study the process of instrumentalization of memory spaces in shaping of a collective identity, emphasizing both their role in reflecting events and wider changes of their social impact. The article comprises examples that show how images of Russo-Ukrainian relations have adapted to significant geopolitical events represented in the memory spaces of Ukrainian cities. Particular attention is paid to the periods of heightened tension (2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in Donbas, the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022). These events catalyzed widespread processes of decommunization and decolonization, leading to the removal / recontextualization of Soviet-era monuments and street names. The article examines the impact of these transformations on the memory politics, highlighting the promotion of local and national narratives over imperial or colonial ones. The author aims to investigate the images of Russo-Ukrainian relations that are concentrated around the metaphors for «friendship», «brotherhood», «unity», «neighborhood» and their opposites — «hostility», «enmity», «rivalry», etc. The shifts from one metaphor to another in urban spaces are addressed.The author underscores the fluid nature of urban memory defined by a convergence of state policies, local initiatives, and public sentiments. Looking into specific cases from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Pereyaslav, and other cities, the article shows how these spaces serve as mirrors of historical memory and as tools of shaping collective consciousness amid the revision of Russo-Ukrainian relations.