Memory in the Making: Early Grassroots Commemorations and Digital Activism in Wartime Ukraine

ABSTRACT

Other effects

In the very first days of the conflict, numerous grassroots initiatives emerged—both in public spaces and online—aimed at commemorating the victims, preserving lived experiences, and protecting them from oblivion. In contrast to official monuments or state ceremonies, these spontaneous practices—from modest makeshift memorials to digital acts of remembrance on social media—reveal how communities respond to violence in real time and how they cultivate civic resilience. Of particular importance is the realm of digital memory, consisting of ephemeral content such as social media posts or live-streamed footage, which disappears quickly yet evokes strong emotions and fosters a sense of shared experience. The study covers the period from the outbreak of the war, with special attention to the aftermath of the atrocities in Bucha and Irpin, up to the third anniversary of the invasion. The project contributes to broader debates on collective memory and the role of digital forms of participation in conflict zones, highlighting grassroots modes of preserving memory as vital components of social and civic life.