Memory Wars on the Silver Screen: Ukraine and Russia Look Back at the Second World War

In post-communist Russia the state has been supporting production of historical films reflecting official politics memory, in which primacy is given to victory World War II. Often filmed Ukraine, where national cinema industry was nearly extinct until recently, these project an imperial stereotype modern Ukrainian identity as a fake and patriots traitors. contrast, patriotic war narrative only reflected straight-to-DVD celebrating nationalist insurgency. This article focuses on three recent films: two Russian set Ukraine during war, caused protests first full-length film receive mass distribution, Mykhailo Illienko’s Firecrosser (2012), interpreted here attempt merge Soviet mythology with one.