STATE POLICY OF HISTORICAL MEMORY IN THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND (90’S OF THE XX – BEGINNING OF THE XXI CENTURY): TRENDS, EVOLUTION AND EXPERIENCE FOR UKRAINE

Abstract

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the formation and evolution of the state policy of historical memory in the Republic of Poland in the period of the 90s of the 20th century – the first two decades of the 21st century. It is proved that the state policy of historical memory has undergone evolutionary changes during the researched period. The author of the article analyzes the main trends in the evolution of the state policy of historical memory, singles out the features that marked the changes in the historical policy and the state policy of historical memory, draws parallels with Ukraine. At the present stage, the problems of historical memory and state historical policy are quite relevant and are of interest not only to researchers-scientists, but also to the general public. The presented article is based on the analysis of a wide historiographical base and will certainly be interesting not only for specialists, but also for representatives of state authorities and local self-governments, who are responsible for the development and implementation of the state policy of historical memory. Modern scientific discourse regarding the assessment of important aspects of the historical past has outgrown not only the framework of scientific discussions, but also state borders, which is often manifested in the use of history for political manipulation of public opinion. Collective ideas about the past acquire a value-meaning dimension exclusively in the social context and are determined by “social frameworks”. Human communities reconstruct the past for the needs of the present. Changes in the socio-political context inevitably lead to reformatting of collective memory, which was clearly demonstrated by the example of the Republic of Poland. Historical memory is constructed and created by society. These processes can occur spontaneously, or as a result of changes in society, or they can occur purposefully and consciously. In the latter case, there is talk of creating a memory policy. The politics of memory is formed and carried out by the state as a legitimate representative of the entire society. Many subjects (including political forces, mass media, regional offices, etc.) join the space of memory policy formation.