Ukraine, Poland and Remembering History

Ukraine and Poland, like many neighbouring countries, sit on a history of war and ethnic conflict. To this day, memory politics play a significant role in the relations between the two countries.

Andriy Portnov, a Ukrainian historian specializing in intellectual history, historiography, and genocide in Eastern Europe, says such discussions are often defined by competing victimhood narratives.

While many Polish authors and politicians — especially right-wingers — see events like the 1943-1944 Volyn massacre as a story of anti-Polish genocide comparable to the Holocaust, for Ukraine, it’s a story of mutual suffering, Portnov explains.

Hromadske spoke with Andriy Portnov about how such historical narratives affect present day politics.