Historical Fakes in Russian Media during the First Phase of the Russian Aggression against Ukraine (2014-2016)

Yana Prymachenko, Visiting Scholar, Department of History, Princeton University
Moderated by George Soroka, Lecturer and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Harvard University Government Department

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Abstract

The battle of historical narratives is essential to understanding the Russian war in Ukraine. Before a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia conducted a massive disinformation campaign to undermine the legitimacy of Ukrainian statehood. Among the critical elements of this campaign was the interpretation of the past. Throughout 2014-2016 Russia disseminated historical fakes that presented Ukraine as an artificial and failed state. Russian media uses the frame of World War II to cover the situation in Ukraine. However, they are not limited by this narrative. What is the arsenal of Russian historical fakes? When did Russian propagandists start to use historical fakes? How have fake historical narratives affected the reality of full-scale invasion? The answers to this question are rooted in 2014–2016.

About the Speaker

Yana Prymachenko (PhD) is a Senior Researcher in the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since fall 2022, she joined the History Department at Princeton University as a Visiting Scholar. Her research interests vary greatly, ranging from the history of the Second World War and memory politics in Russia and Eastern Europe to the study of Soviet propaganda and informational wars. She is an author and co-author of ten books dedicated to the history of Ukraine. Prymachenko made a significant media contribution to promoting historical knowledge in the public sphere. She is an author of more than 80 scientific, encyclopedic, and journalistic articles. Her current research focuses on the mediatization of history and historical fakes in media.

 

Moderated by George Soroka, Lecturer and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Harvard University Government Department

Watch on YouTube

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