The Fight for the Past: Contested Heritage and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

Many in the West do not understand why Putin decided to attack Ukraine. Russian propagandists have thrown up a smokescreen, placing the blame on the expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe, slandering the Ukrainian government as a 'Nazi' regime, suggesting that ethnic Russians needed protection, or even insinuating a conspiracy by the West to destroy the Russian state and Russian culture. This article shows that there are deep underlying reasons for the invasion which are linked to how Ukraine and its history are perceived by Russian nationalists and imperialists. This article examines some of the historical justifications put forward by Putin and his views on Ukraine, Russia, and their history. The article gives an overview of some key moments of Ukrainian and Russian history and discusses the long shadow of the events of the 20th century, from initial Ukrainian attempts at state building to Putin's rejection of ideas of Ukrainian state-and nationhood. The article also analyses the impact the conflict has had on monuments and heritage sites, including the deliberate destruction of monuments and the capture and removal of artefacts and relics.