The Politics of Memory Laws
Russia, Ukraine and Beyond
Published on 18. September 2025
Book
Hardback
360 pages
978-1-5099-7530-3 (ISBN)
Description
This open access book explores the political utility and consequences of memory laws with a focus on how militant memory laws frame, underpin and generate international conflicts.
Proceeding from Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, this examination plots how memory laws have preceded, partially led to, and encouraged the outbreak of the war itself via Russian propaganda. It also offers a broader perspective looking at developments in the Baltic States, Belarus, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Poland, as well as in European (Council of Europe and European Union) law. Bringing together scholars with diverse perspectives, this book provides both analysis and conceptual reflection for scholars assessing the politics of memory laws.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open Access was funded by the University of Copenhagen.
Proceeding from Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, this examination plots how memory laws have preceded, partially led to, and encouraged the outbreak of the war itself via Russian propaganda. It also offers a broader perspective looking at developments in the Baltic States, Belarus, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Poland, as well as in European (Council of Europe and European Union) law. Bringing together scholars with diverse perspectives, this book provides both analysis and conceptual reflection for scholars assessing the politics of memory laws.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open Access was funded by the University of Copenhagen.
Reviews / Votes
In an impressive collective effort, the authors show how legislative battles over versions of historical truth and pseudo-historical mythology are translating into today's large-scale human tragedy and shaking the foundations of international order. When are "memory laws" part of the problem of abuse and manipulation of history and how can they become part of the solution? This insightful volume will provide invaluable and much-needed food for thought. * Mykola Gnyatkovkyy, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights Elected on Behalf of Ukraine * Rewriting history, instrumentalising historical memory - these are now among the most important tools of Putinism, used to justify the war against Ukraine and, as Putin's propagandists never tire of repeating, the West as a whole. The dangers and the repressive practice of enforcing laws based on "alternative history" are still not sufficiently known in the West. Describing and analysing them in the current political context, as this book does very convincingly, is of great importance. * Irina Scherbakowa, co-founder of Memorial * A timely, vital and wholly original and compelling set of essays - a collected work that underscores the role of law and legal institutions in managing and manipulating our engagement with history, memory and identity, and reminds that the ownership of truth will never be less than deeply contested. * Philippe Sands, International lawyer and author of 'East West Street' *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
699 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5099-7530-3 (9781509975303)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Uladzislau Belavusau is Senior Researcher in European Law at the T.M.C. Asser Institute, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias is Professor at the Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland.
Maria Maelksoo is Professor of International Relations at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Angelika Nusserger is Professor at Cologne University, Germany.
Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias is Professor at the Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland.
Maria Maelksoo is Professor of International Relations at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Angelika Nusserger is Professor at Cologne University, Germany.
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Shadows of History: Memory Laws in Europe in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Uladzislau Belavusau, Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias, Maria Maelksoo, and Angelika Nussberger
Part One: Memory Laws and Policies in Russia
1. The Politics of Memory and Legislative Discourse on Rehabilitation of Nazism in Russia in the 1990s and 2000s, Andrii Nekoliak and Paul Primbs
2. Memory Laws and Policies in Russia After the Annexation of Crimea and Occupation of Donbas, Ilya Nuzov
3. Putin's Memory Policies in the Context of Military Aggression in Ukraine, Gleb Bogush
Part Two: Memory Laws and Policies in Ukraine
4. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Policy Before 2014: Overcoming the Past, Alina Cherviatsova
5. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Decommunization Policies from the Euromaidan to the Full-Scale Russian Invasion, Tatiana Zhurzhenko
6. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Policies in the Context of 2022 Russian Aggression, Andrii Nekoliak
Part Three: Neighbours Actively Involved in the Regional Memory Wars
7. Wounds Unhealed: Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Russian Memory Wars Before 2022, Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias
8. Memory Laws and Policies in Belarus in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Uladzislau Belavusau
9. "Critical Situations" and Mnemonic Legislation: Memory Politics in the Baltic States and Russia's War Against Ukraine, Dovile Budryte
10. The Transformation of Russia in Hungary's Memory Governance, Marina Ban
11. Finnish-Russian Memory Conflicts Before and After the Russo-Ukrainian War, Tuomas Forsberg
Part Four: Shaping European Law and Politics in the Context of Memory Wars
12. German Prototype for Memory Laws and Policies in Europe in the Context of Putin's Instrumentalisation of Denazification, Paula Rhein-Fischer
13. Memory Narratives and Policies in the EU and the Council of Europe in the Context of Russian Military Aggression from 2014 to 2023, Anna Wojcik
14. The Regulation of Historical Memory in the Council of Europe: The European Court of Human Rights Before and After 2022, Dovile Sagatiene
15. The Looking Glass War: Russian Aggression Against Ukraine and the Lessons of World War II in International Memory Politics, Maria Maelksoo
16. Epilogue: The Battle for the Past: War and Memory in the Post-Soviet Space, David R. Marples
Introduction - Shadows of History: Memory Laws in Europe in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Uladzislau Belavusau, Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias, Maria Maelksoo, and Angelika Nussberger
Part One: Memory Laws and Policies in Russia
1. The Politics of Memory and Legislative Discourse on Rehabilitation of Nazism in Russia in the 1990s and 2000s, Andrii Nekoliak and Paul Primbs
2. Memory Laws and Policies in Russia After the Annexation of Crimea and Occupation of Donbas, Ilya Nuzov
3. Putin's Memory Policies in the Context of Military Aggression in Ukraine, Gleb Bogush
Part Two: Memory Laws and Policies in Ukraine
4. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Policy Before 2014: Overcoming the Past, Alina Cherviatsova
5. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Decommunization Policies from the Euromaidan to the Full-Scale Russian Invasion, Tatiana Zhurzhenko
6. Ukrainian Memory Laws and Policies in the Context of 2022 Russian Aggression, Andrii Nekoliak
Part Three: Neighbours Actively Involved in the Regional Memory Wars
7. Wounds Unhealed: Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Russian Memory Wars Before 2022, Aleksandra Gliszczynska-Grabias
8. Memory Laws and Policies in Belarus in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Uladzislau Belavusau
9. "Critical Situations" and Mnemonic Legislation: Memory Politics in the Baltic States and Russia's War Against Ukraine, Dovile Budryte
10. The Transformation of Russia in Hungary's Memory Governance, Marina Ban
11. Finnish-Russian Memory Conflicts Before and After the Russo-Ukrainian War, Tuomas Forsberg
Part Four: Shaping European Law and Politics in the Context of Memory Wars
12. German Prototype for Memory Laws and Policies in Europe in the Context of Putin's Instrumentalisation of Denazification, Paula Rhein-Fischer
13. Memory Narratives and Policies in the EU and the Council of Europe in the Context of Russian Military Aggression from 2014 to 2023, Anna Wojcik
14. The Regulation of Historical Memory in the Council of Europe: The European Court of Human Rights Before and After 2022, Dovile Sagatiene
15. The Looking Glass War: Russian Aggression Against Ukraine and the Lessons of World War II in International Memory Politics, Maria Maelksoo
16. Epilogue: The Battle for the Past: War and Memory in the Post-Soviet Space, David R. Marples