Heroes and Villains
Creating national history in contemporary Ukraine
David R. Marples, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Canada.
Certain to engender debate in the media, especially
in Ukraine itself, as well as the academic community.
Using a wide selection of newspapers, journals, monographs,
and school textbooks from different regions of the country,
the book examines the sensitive issue of the changing
perspectives – often shifting 180 degrees –
on several events discussed in the new narratives of
the Stalin years published in the Ukraine since the
late Gorbachev period until 2005. These events were
pivotal to Ukrainian history in the 20th century, including
the Famine of 1932–33 and Ukrainian insurgency
during the war years.
This latter period is particularly disputed, and analyzed
with regard to the roles of the OUN (Organization of
Ukrainian Nationalists) and the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent
Army) during and after the war. Were these organizations
"freedom fighters" or "collaborators"?
To what extent are they the architects of the modern
independent state?
"This excellent book fills a longstanding void
in literature on the politics of memory in Eastern Europe.
Professor Marples has produced an innovative and courageous
study of how postcommunist Ukraine is rewriting its
Stalinist and wartime past by gradually but inconsistently
substituting Soviet models with nationalist interpretations.
Grounded in an attentive reading of Ukrainian scholarship
and journalism from the last two decades, this book
offers a balanced take on such sensitive issues as the
Great Famine of 1932-33 and the role of the Ukrainian
nationalist insurgents during World War II. Instead
of taking sides in the passionate debates on these subjects,
Marples analyzes the debates themselves as discursive
sites where a new national history is being forged.
Clearly written and well argued, this study will make
a major impact both within and beyond academia."
- Serhy Yekelchyk, University of Victoria
Contents
Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1:
Independent Ukraine Reviews the Past Chapter
2: The Famine of 1932–33 Chapter
3: The OUN, 1929–43 Chapter 4:
Making Heroes: the Early Days of OUN-UPA Chapter
5: UPA’s Conflict with the Red Army and
Soviet Security Forces Chapter 6: The
Ukrainian–Polish Conflict Chapter 7:
Writing New History in Ukraine Chapter 8: Assessments
Conclusion Bibliography Index
"Nation-building in Ukraine is far from complete,
and it seems unlikely that the population from the southern
and eastern regions of the country will ever fully internalise
the Ukrainian national idea, as it is ingrained in Western
Ukraine. Historians can make a vital contribution to
the promotion of a common idea of national identity.
As this book shows, Ukrainian historians have often
strayed too far from an objective reading of history
by seeking to maximally distance themselves from Soviet
presentations and by allowing ideological purposes to
infect their scholarly effort. Probably, these factors
are part of the explanation of why the national idea
has not caught on with large parts of the population.
Marples’ book is an interesting case study of what
happens to the discipline of history when it is suddenly
set the formidable task of rewriting history and becomes
inseparable from political intrigue." - Europe-Asia
Studies
"David Marples has offered us an unusual book.
Intrigued by the heavy reliance on history to craft
a sense of national indentity in post-Soviet Ukraine,
Marples sets out to explore the various historical narratives
of the Ukrainian experience of Soviet rule. He evaluates
these competing narratives in terms of their potential
to shape collective memories and inform perceptions
of a common historical experience that could provide
the cultural underpinnings of the political project
of nation building." - Slavic Review
2008
385 pages
ISBN 978-963-7326-98-1 cloth $47.95 / €34.95 /
£32.00
ISBN 978-963-7326-29-6 paperback $25.95 / €19.95 / £16.99
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