Cultures of History Forum

Here we provide a preview of our latest publications. Follow this link to the Cultures of History Forum's website to get access to all our articles.

Politics of History

Vladimir versus Volodymyr

Conflicting Russian and Ukrainian Application of Rus’ Heritage

Jeremy Cohen ·

Putin justified his invasion of peaceful Ukraine in February 2022 by questioning the very idea that Ukraine has a national history distinct from Russia. At the core of this claim is the shared history of the Kievan Rus'. The article provides a critical analysis of the uses and abuses of Rus' history by both states and of their strategies to craft that history into a national narrative and weapon in the current war.

Full article

statues of Red Army soldiers at the Antakalnis Military Cemetery in Vilnius

Politics of History

Lithuania’s Postcolonial Iconoclasm

or Politics by Other Means

Violeta Davoliūtė ·

The reaction of the Baltic states to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has been debated among academics as a 'postcolonial moment of sorts' as it triggered a new wave of anti-Soviet(Russian) iconoclasm across the region. The article focuses on the politics surrounding the latest wave of dismantling and renaming of monuments, public spaces and paradigms in Lithuania, discussing the arguments and actors involved as well as their motivations.

Full article

Pro-Russian separatists occupying the building of the Donetsk Regional State Administration in 2014

Politics of History

Separatism and the Uses of the Past

Politics of History in the Self-Proclaimed Republics of Donbas

Alexandr Voronovici ·

What role do history and memory play in the war that Russia has launched against Ukraine, especially in the period prior to the full-scale invasion of the country in 2022? The article looks at the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk since 2014 and outlines what historical narratives have been forged by separatist leaders and how they were strategically used to mobilize people and consolidate power.

Full article