Mutable Monuments: (De)Constructing Memorials to National Writers in Ukraine and Russia

Abstract

In "Mutable Monuments," I explore the evolution of public memorial culture dedicated to writers in Ukraine and Russia from the late nineteenth century to the present. Engaging Pierre Nora’s concept of sites of memory, I argue that literary memorials such as monuments, house museums, and estates, serve as active cultural spaces where the public and state shape society in the name of heritage. Critical to this dynamic are the grassroots origins and continuous reimaginings of these sites beyond the state’s official parameters of establishment. Through their engagements with literary memorials, individuals and groups wield social agency even under authoritarian regimes. My study expands the focus from the traditionally studied political and cultural centers of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union to encompass a broader scope of literary memorials and the communities that produce them. Methodologically, I pivot from a nation-centric approach to a site-centric one, allowing for a multifaceted view of how literary memorials are shaped by various memorializing groups–imperial, national, subnational—within shifting political contexts. By examining Shevchenko’s Taras’ Hill, Tolstoy’s Yasnaya Polyana, and the Bulgakov House in Kyiv, my dissertation reveals the complex interplay of cultural identities, providing a comparative analysis of literary memorial sites and exploring their significance in shaping national and imperial narratives. My work underscores the diverse, interwoven historical trajectories of literary memorials, shedding light on the distinctive cultural landscapes of Ukraine and Russia.