Our project explores how ordinary people create ways of remembering war as it unfolds, focusing on Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. In the early days of the full scale war, countless private and grassroots initiatives emerged – both online and offline – that sought to mark losses, preserve experiences, and resist forgetting. Unlike official monuments or state-led commemorations, these spontaneous actions, ranging from small memorials to digital tributes on social media, show how communities respond to violence in real time.
The study looks at how such practices not only honor victims but also become a form of civic resilience. By paying special attention to digital memory – ephemeral content like Instagram stories or live streams that vanish quickly but leave powerful impressions – the project asks how new technologies are reshaping the politics of remembrance.
Our analysis spans the period from the first days of the invasion, with particular attention to the aftermath of atrocities in Bucha and Irpin, through to the third anniversary of the war. In doing so, the project contributes to wider debates about collective memory, and the role of digital participation in conflict zones, positioning grassroots memory-making as a vital force in contemporary societies.
This project is funded by the Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej (Foundation for Polish Science (FNP)) under the “For Ukraine” program. It is a collaborative initiative between (Zaporizhzhia National University (Faculty of Journalism)) and the (University of Warsaw (Faculty of Sociology)).
