CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Kovacs, Robert |
|---|---|
| Title | Fractured Memory, Divided Society: Shifting Commemorative Politics in East Central Europe in the Shadow of the Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Summary | Societal polarisation often stems from the fractured nature of interpreting and commemorating historical events. To comprehend this phenomenon, this thesis analyses the underexplored field of how the Russian aggression against Ukraine has influenced two case studies of commemorations in East Central Europe: the Slovak National Uprising of 1944 and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. It examines official and counter-commemorations from 2022 to 2024, primarily drawing on interviews, media coverage, and official speeches. The interpretative framework employs the theories of Bernhard and Kubik (2014) concerning the politics of memory to contextualise the findings, and Jeffrey C. Alexander’s theory of cultural pragmatics to analyse the performative and narrative elements of the commemorations (2004). The findings reveal the emergence of a significant fracture in both cases following the war between "sovereign tist-pacifist&# x22; and “pro-European democratic” interpretations. The former reflects populist nationalism and a pro-Kremlin stance on the Russo-Ukrainian war, while the latter embodies a staunch pro-European orientation. These dynamics align with broader trends in the politics of memory shaped by new nationalism and populism (Maissen 2021). |
| Supervisor | Trencsényi Balázs |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/kovacs_robert.pdf |
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