VOLODYMYR VIATROVYCH WAS RELEASED FROM HIS POSITION AT THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE
Volodymyr Viatrovych’s work the last five years as head of the Institute has included an updated map of Ukraine, the poppy remembrance symbol, the complete openness of the KGB archives, the recognition of fighters for independence, the beginning of the rehabilitation of victims of repression, the Maidan Museum and refuting many myths on Ukrainian history. On September 18, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dismissed Volodymyr Viatrovych from the position of Head of the Institute of National Remembrance, a position he held since March 2014.
Viatrovych conducted various reforms of the Institute, which became a leading authority in Ukraine working according to European practices.
He explained at the time that democratic changes in post-totalitarian Europe began with the discovery of facts about the crimes of past regimes. Thus, condemning the communist and Nazi totalitarian regimes, banning their propaganda symbols and free access to the secret special services archives have all become key elements of the de-communization policy, which officially started with the adoption of the Decommunization Package of Laws on April 9, 2015.
As part of this de-communization, 52 thousand streets, 989 cities and villages and 26 regions had their historical names returned or were renamed.
According to the SBU Archives statistics, there are now three times as many people searching for their family histories. Ukraine now ranks first among the post-Soviet countries in international ratings of access to KGB archives, and the process for accessing them is the most liberal in Europe: one only needs to fill out the application and present their passport. The creation of an Archive of National Remembrance – independent of modern security forces and law enforcement agencies – has already begun by obtaining a building in order to transport the repressive archives to a new “civilian” archive that will greatly facilitate access to the archives. The Museum of the Revolution of Dignity was created, and construction of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred Memorial Complex has begun.
At a national level, the fighters for independence as participants of the liberation movement were recognized and a new wave of rehabilitation of those repressed by the USSR began.
The Institute has been instrumental in challenging the key myths of Ukrainian history, primarily to rid Ukraine of Soviet clichés about the “Great Patriotic War”. Thus, it restored two years of WWII and the history of millions of people who did not fit into Soviet propaganda back into the Ukrainian historical narrative.
During 2015-2019, the Institute developed and/or participated in the development of 60 normative-legal acts, drafts – laws, orders of the Cabinet of Ministers and presidential decrees. Of these, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted five into law. Volodymyr Viatrovych commented on his dismissal: “I’m certain that the work of the Institute should continue. Initiated institutional projects should be implemented - the creation of the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and the Archive of National Remembrance. Work on promoting history should continue. This knowledge will make us not only smarter, but stronger. I received assurances from the Prime Minister that, despite the changes to its leadership, the Institute will retain its state authority status and remain a national memory policy tool, and that its format and work will be extended”.
Viatrovych also thanked everyone who helped in this work for the last five years. “We have done a lot. As Ivan Myron, the first rehabilitated political prisoner, stated about the new law: ‘Ukraine is becoming Ukrainian.’”.
Clearly, the state policy of national memory is a system of measures, aimed at preserving and restoring a nation’s memory, overcoming the consequences of its totalitarian past and changing public relations for the development of democratic practices, respect for human rights and freedoms, civic tolerance and the restoration of justice for victims of political repression, genocide and crimes against humanity which took place on the territory of Ukraine in 1917-1991.
Volodymyr Viatrovych, who is 42 years old, headed the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance for 5 years (2014-2019). In 2008-2010, he headed the SBU Archives and declassified the former KGB archive. In 2010-2011, he worked at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. He is an author and co-author of fourteen books on the history of the liberation movement and the Second World War. He taught at the Ukrainian Catholic University and the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, headed the Academic Council of the Liberation Movement Research Center and was a member of the Academic Council of the Lonsky Prison National Memorial Museum. He is the initiator of the decommunization package of laws.
