PROSPECTS FOR RESEARCHING CURRENT ISSUES IN MODERN UKRAINIAN HISTORY: A MENTAL DIMENSION

Abstract

Several aspects of the stated topic are examined, including the process of integrating the concept of “mentality” into Ukrainian humanities over the past decades, in which the author of this article has been involved. The first mental narratives in Ukrainian historiography began to emerge in the 1990s. They often caused surprise, even among leading academic historians. Some of them considered the category of “mentality” to be artificially introduced and proposed replacing it with synonymous terms, such as “identity”. A nationwide discussion about the appropriateness of using this “fashionable” term never took place, but the search for alternatives continued. This search remained relevant even as the study of the traditional agrarian society as the foundation of the past started to decline in popularity. The academic achievements of historians and representatives of other humanities disciplines create the foundation for the promising application of the mental approach to interpreting events, phenomena, and processes in modern history. This approach can be particularly useful in analyzing totalitarian regimes (Bolshevism, Nazism), issues of national identity, the national liberation movement, historical memory, and commemorative practices. The author suggests employing a “mental” conceptual framework, as it provides additional opportunities to counteract both natural and artificial mythologization of knowledge. In the context of the ongoing Russian aggression, which has taken the form of total war, the characterological and intellectual analysis of modern history in Ukraine and Eastern Europe has not only academic but also practical significance. Specifically, it becomes crucial for ensuring national security. This circumstance also necessitates changes in the way history is taught.