“MEMORY SPACES/LIEUX DE MEMOIRE” AS A MECHANISM FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORICAL MEMORY OF A SOCIETY

Abstract

The article analyzes the concept of a “memory space”. The relevance of the study is due to several aspects: 1) an innovative postmodern approach to the analysis of traditional problems in historical science is used; 2) shared memory is the central link in an identity formation in national societies and the basis for consolidation of the people, which implies the need to study the mechanisms necessary for its actualization. The purpose of the study is a methodological analysis of one of the central concepts in the memorial direction in modern historical science, “memory spaces / lieux de memoire” as a special mechanism to form the historical memory of a society. Materials and methods. The research materials are based on the experience of scientific analysis of memory spaces as a special mechanism for perpetuating the history in the descendants’ public consciousness. The methodological basis of the research is a set of general scientific and special historical methods, as well as the principles of objectivity, historicism and consistency. Study results. Memory spaces represent a unique socio-cultural phenomenon, which is studied by scientists from various fields of humanities within the framework of an interdisciplinary approach. The founder of research in this direction is P. Nora, who first introduced the concept of “lieux de memoire” into scientific circulation in the early 80s of the XX century. To date, no generally accepted terminology has been developed in understanding the nature and essence of the concept “memory spaces”. In this article, they are interpreted as the most important mechanism for preserving the historical memory of a society, used both at the state and public levels. Conclusions. Generalization of foreign experience in the analysis of the phenomenon of “lieux de memoire”, as well as the study of their forms and classification will make it possible in the future to use the obtained material applicable to the most important task of preserving and updating memory spaces of national and regional significance. The analysis of scientific concepts about the nature and the essence of “memory spaces” gives us the opportunity to conclude that they can be any objects of general historical and cultural heritage that preserve the memory about important historical events, provided that they are purposefully given elements of sacralization and a special ritual of veneration.