Ukraine cannot stay solely on defensive when it comes to national remembrance - head of UINR

The structural independence of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR) helps shift the focus from a defensive stance in the struggle for national memory to a historical “offensive.”

This was stated by Oleksandr Alfyorov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Of course, the new status of shaping national memory, rather than simply implementing it, adds flexibility, since we now report to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. It also provides new tools, including an expansion of staff positions. And much also depends on the employees themselves—our most important resource. By the way, I am honored that 12 employees of the Institute are serving in the Armed Forces,” Alfyorov stated.

He added that the UINR is entering a new phase, where, having adopted new functions, it is beginning to operate at a qualitatively new level.

“This historic ‘Reconquista’ means we don’t have to be constantly on the defensive. We need to move beyond it, because defense sooner or later usually leads to defeat. Today, more than ever, we need not only to respond to Russian propaganda and carry out counter-propaganda, but also to create our own initiatives that will strike effectively at our enemies in the cognitive space,” noted the head of the UINR.

Read also: Oleksandr Alfyorov, Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance

This includes the topic of Russia’s decolonization, the fact that Rus’ was a Ukrainian state, or that Russia never conquered the Hetmanate.

“This is the truth, and it must be disseminated. This is our top priority. Gradually, by understanding this principle of work, we are creating very powerful projects,” Alfyorov stated, speaking about the exhibition on “church Russianism.”

“It is touring Ukraine and explaining that the missiles and drones flying into Ukraine were ‘blessed’ by the Russian clergy. We also need to refute the Lviv Council, where the Greek Catholic Church was supposedly united with the Moscow Patriarchate. We must say that this was a lie, a fabrication,” said the head of the Institute.

He emphasized that the team is beginning to “approach the audience in a completely different way” and that this work “is yielding results.”

As reported by Ukrinform, the ancestral homeland of many indigenous peoples of Ukraine is once again under enemy occupation, which represents yet another tragedy in their history.