Ihor Dvorkin

The Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014 as a hybrid war and escalated into a full-scale one in 2022, has significantly altered the attitudes of Ukrainian society, the state, and academia toward the role of the Russian Empire and the USSR in Ukraine’s history and culture. This research project investigates the profound transformation of the symbolic landscape of Ukrainian cities in the context of both decommunization and decolonization. Positioned within the broader Ukrainian context, the project focuses on Kharkiv, examining how the symbolic images of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union are being transformed in the city’s public space. The city of Kharkiv was chosen for the study because it is a major metropolis in close proximity to the Russian border, which historically maintained ties with Russia, and is currently a heavily shelled frontline city. The research explores how national legislation, its implementation, and local initiatives are reshaping public spaces by removing or transforming imperial/Soviet monuments and renaming toponyms. Methodologically, the project adopts a multidisciplinary approach rooted in memory studies and postcolonial theory.