Cultural Heritage of Soviet Era in Contemporary Ukraine’s Public Space: Discussions about Its Historic and Artistic Value

Abstract

The article overviews the process and key points of the discussions among Ukrainian scholars and artists about the historic and artistic value of cultural heritage originated in the Soviet era, the scale of its formerly ubiquitous presence in public space of contemporary Ukraine. Main historic and political reasons for removing propaganda-laden Soviet monumental objects from public space have been that they were commissioned and created according to strict rules of socialist realism method and positioned in key public places for purely political propaganda purpose. Therefore, their role in contemporary Ukrainian society is one of a prop in attempts to justify the criminal totalitarian Soviet regime. Opponents of this opinion point out that many works of monumental art from the Soviet era do have remarkable artistic value and, thus, should have remained where they used to be. This brings us to the conclusion about the necessity of profound and balanced re-evaluation both from the historic and artistic point of view, of the social role, the historic and artistic value of Soviet artistic heritage in independent democratic Ukrainian society. It should also include a broad process of public re-thinking of the impact of public heritage objects on the shaping of the so-called historic memory of the society about the country’s past. It is desirable that both the historic context of a monument’s creation and its original meaning, be explained to the public in an objective, fact-based way. It is especially important for contemporary Ukrainian society with its numerous ideological, political and cultural divisions.