Ridefinire i confini attraverso la memoria
L’Istituzionalizzazione della Grande guerra patriottica nella ‘Repubblica Popolare di Doneck’ (2014-22)
Abstract
Eastern Europe has been shaped by intense geopolitical tensions following the conflict in Ukraine that began in 2014. In this context, the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ – a de facto state in eastern Ukraine – has systematically institutionalised the memory of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ (1941-45), transforming it into the founding myth of its state project. This study analyses how, between 2014 and 2022, war memory was used by occupation authorities to legitimise separatism and reinforce Donetsk’s symbolic belonging to the ‘Russian world’, highlighting its role in identity reconfiguration and geopolitical realignment.
open access | peer reviewed
Presentato: 08 Luglio 2025 | Accettato: 08 Ottobre 2025 | Pubblicato 27 Febbraio 2026 | Lingua: it
Keywords Russia • Memory • Borders • Donbas • Ukraine
Copyright © 2026 Marco Simonetti. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/979-12-5742-027-7/005