Commemoration of World War II in the Aftermath of the Euromaidan: Redefining Ukraine’s Relations with Russia and Europe

Previous studies in International Relations (IR) and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) have explored how history influences foreign policy or how foreign and security policy is enacted through construction of historical narratives (Langenbacher and Shain 2010, Müller 2002, Mälksoo 2009, Gustafsson 2014, Subotić ‎2013, Browning 2008). Memory sites such as museums, commemorations, exhibitions, memorials and the like are nonetheless rarely seen as objects of study in IR and FPA. Yet the investigation of these sites of memory can provide greater insight into the study of a state’s perception about itself and its relations to others. Following this train of thought, this paper explores how foreign policy of a nation-state is enacted through commemoration of historical events. Commemorative narratives often serve as a mechanism of national identity construction of a state in relation to other states or supranational entities. Taking Ukraine as a case study, this Paper demonstrates how the events that unfolded in Ukraine following the Euromaidan revolution prompted Ukrainian policy-makers to change their perception of World War II and therefore to redefine Ukraine’s relations with Russia and Europe.