Last week, the second workshop in a series on national memory, titled “Storytelling as a Tool,” took place to explore common and differing experiences in national memory.

The event was organized as part of the activities of the Council on Cognitive De-occupation of Crimea, which operates under the Mission.

Rethinking the past and overcoming Russian historical propaganda is a crucial component of the national memory policy. It’s essential to understand how we narrate the story of the Crimean Peninsula and how we can enhance these narratives by examining them critically and addressing gaps in our experience.

Constructing our history within the broader narrative about Crimea and its history is like laying bricks to build the overall picture of national memory. We need to identify our knowledge, understanding, and awareness of our history and culture. This fortifies us as a society and is key to avoiding internal conflicts and fostering unity against the external enemy.

As we’ve observed, Russia has exploited the absence of a unified narrative of national memory in Ukrainian society, using our differences to its advantage. The outbreak of war and occupation of Ukrainian territories in 2014, along with the full-scale invasion in 2022, underscored the importance of a cohesive national memory policy. Such a policy should encompass the history, culture, and interests of Ukraine’s state-building people, indigenous peoples, and national minorities.

This workshop is supported by the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), funded by aid from the governments of Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.