Chernobyl «exclusion zone» as a mnemonic place

Abstract

The article explored the general mechanisms of cultural memory. The author has examined the historical fact of the Chernobyl accident and the 30-km «exclusion zone» in Ukraine in the context of Pierre Nora’s theory of the «new history» according to the concept of «places of memory» and «commemoration». The author singles out philosophical comprehension of the fact Chernobyl accident on the background of Ukrainian history and providing this historic event «memory» status within the national narrative; also special attention has been paid to the subject of adaptation to the consequences of the accident and availability in Ukraine «exclusion zone». It has been found possible interpretations of Chernobyl «zone» as the mnemonic space on the cultural background of contemporary Ukrainian culture. In this paper we have demonstrated the impact of Chernobyl on the fact of mental self-determination of Ukrainians. In conclusion, the author notes that the memories of the technogenic accident in April 1986 became the basis for the selection of subjects of «mnemonic culture» in Ukraine and indicate the possibility of the argumentation cultural research of «discourse of memory» of this tragedy. Respectively the cultural and semantic revaluation of fact Chernobyl in the national paradigm led to reveal the «exclusion zone» as «mnemonic place» of post-Soviet retrospective.