THE HOLOCAUST IN THE POLITICS OF MEMORY OF LITHUANIA AND UKRAINE IN1991–2017

Abstract

The article seeks to compare the Holocaust memory in the politics of memory of Lithuania and Ukraine. The author uncovers the history of incorporating this topic into political discourse and official historical narratives. The article highlights the ways Ukrainian and Lithuanian government institutions use the topic of the Holocaust memory in their home and foreign policy. It is asserted that heads of Lithuania were one of the first in the former Soviet Union to have started using the topic of the Holocaust memory to demonstrate common political practices of the European Union member states. In turn, Ukrainian international political practice did not use the topic of the Holocaust memory so actively. The author argues that Ukrainian society was slowly moving towards changes in perpetuation of one of the biggest tragedies of the 20th century as part of the declaration of further integration with the European Union. In addition, the author points out that, on one hand, both Lithuanian and Ukrainian politics of memory tend to glorify anti-Soviet resistance, but on the other hand, they ignore and sometimes even whitewash negative policy towards the Jewish population. If Lithuania started to glorify the leaders of the National Resistance Movement right after the declaration of independence in 1991, Ukraine initiated the same process in early 2000s. Such politics of memory would encourage academic circles to discuss the actions of politicians and elicit differences in interpreting and understanding past events. One-sided image of the leaders of the anti-Soviet Resistance Movement during World War II provoked criticism from the side of Israel and other oversees scholars. In conclusion, the author notes that incorporation of the Holocaust memory into official narratives of Ukraine and Lithuania demonstrates further development of tolerance to Other in post-Soviet society.

Key words: memory of the Holocaust, Ukraine, Lithuania, historical politics, suppression, post-Soviet societies, official narratives.