Why shouldn't Ukraine apologize for shield on gates of Tsargrad to join EU?

That's been said before! (с)

Seven years ago, the nationalist minister Waszczykowski declared: "Ukraine will not enter Europe with Bandera.”

However, after that, the whole of Ukraine sang "Our Father Bandera," and after the invasion, they even placed him somewhere near Shevchenko.

"In Ukraine, there is a very big temptation to explain such unconstructive statements by Polish politicians by their internal competition. This is partly true, but as we can see from the two statements of the two opponents, this is a consensus decision of the Polish elite.”

It's just that some people know how to say it delicately, and some people say it in the Moscow style.

But what is the basis of this ideological consensus?

The foundation is the demand of Polish society. Its deep involvement in historical issues.

I have never seen such an abundance of historical pop in bookstores as in Poland in any European country.

This time I bought two Newsweek and Historia, and that was only because I didn't have the money for more.

My eyes were running wild there.

Now I regret that I did not take the issue about the history of the Polish church.

But Poles buy it. And they do not hesitate to spend money.

Last time I brought Powrót and Niepokorny narod.

I didn't have to look for such specialized historical literature in bookstores.

It's sold right next to the Mariacki Market.

How Poles invest in foreign authors to make them interested in their history is a separate conversation.

Probably the classic case of such competent self-promotion is Norman Davies's A History of Europe.

Do you remember this rough and easily accessible book that could kill you?

When I read it as a student, I was surprised by the excessive emphasis on Polish episodes.

And now, when I pick up Polish school history textbooks, I am sincerely happy for Polish children - how cool and interesting they are.

I read them myself as an exciting adventure.

And I also feel sorry for Ukrainian children, who have not yet been cursed with the "Sarbeyevshchyna" curse.

"I understand why our school children hate history. This will probably continue until those who studied under Sarbey die."

Once I picked up tests for the External Independent Testing in history. I had only one question.

For what?

For what does a child need to know how some prick looked like in a portrait from the nineteenth century?

And when?

When were the authors of these tests born? In 1922, like Sarbey?

I remember when I was a freshman, Professor Chornyi said: "Forget these thousands of dates you learned for the entrance exam, even we don't know them."

I had to memorize three thousand dates to become a prize-winner at the All-Ukrainian History Olympiad.

And another language.

What was the point of all this?

Even then, we were not shoved portraits from the nineteenth century under our noses.

Why torture children?

At the beginning of the invasion, there was an explosion of interest in history in Ukraine.

The same public demand that has kept Poles so busy appeared.

And at this stage, the government had to get involved.

Grants for YouTube channels, government orders for TV channels, co-productions with Discovery, History, or Viasat.

Finally, joint media projects with Poles and Lithuanians-with those with whom we lived in the same state.

(Through such projects, we would also learn how to cut down sharp corners and polish mutual claims, and over time, such platforms would have a tremendous effect - for the new elites).

I'm not talking about mass publication (and translation) of young and creative historians who can not only find but also write well.

Because nowadays all scientific work is not worth a dime if it does not have a media wrapper.

“Yes, back in 2022, we had to create an entire industry from scratch. Along with the production of drones and missiles. The historical pop industry.”

Local History and the Kapranov brothers' channel alone will not make a difference.

But today the state is run by intellectual and managerial ineptitude.

They failed to maintain that fire of interest for 22 years, and it is slowly fading away.

“And, therefore, those for whom it is at the heart of the nation will dictate their terms to us. Those who have a political and social understanding of its importance. Those who, by investing in the past, project the future. These are Bandera and Volyn today.”

But why shouldn't we also apologize for the shield on the gates of Tsargrad in order to join the EU?

How would the ancient Greek say "what's the difference"?

* Published with preservation of the author's style

Source 

About the author: Oleh Manchura, journalist.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.