On replenishing "reserves" of history

It is a resource that helps mobilize citizens to defend a country attacked by an aggressor.

It worked in Ukraine. The achievements made during the years of independence in the research and popularization of history were converted into the readiness of Ukrainians to defend their country.

People who realized the falsity and danger of the "one nation" thesis, the consequences of the statehood loss, were among the first to take up arms.

But this resource, like any other in warfare (weapons, ammunition, equipment), is exhausted if it is not replenished. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I do not see any attempts by the state to renew the "reserves" of knowledge and understanding of history among Ukrainians.

“Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I do not see any attempts by the state to renew the "reserves" of knowledge and understanding of history among Ukrainians.”

There is no special program to popularize our past, no systematic and large-scale attempts to explain the roots of this war.

The state-controlled information space is completely devoid of historical content. Moreover, certain initiatives (such as the refusal of mandatory history testing) resemble the disarmament of the country during the war.

Those who knew, understood, loved our history are becoming fewer, because many of them are among the killed now.

“The state-controlled information space is completely devoid of historical content.” 

If the current policy is continued, they will (not) be replaced by those who will not understand what and why they have to protect.

It is good that Ukraine restores the production of certain types of weapons, not relying exclusively on lethal assistance from the West. But the renewal of state attention to the popularization of history is also necessary. Moreover, we cannot count on anyone's help in this matter.

Source

About the author. Volodymyr Viatrovych, historian, People's Deputy of Ukraine.

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