Oksana Dovgopolova

Odesa is a city with a strong mythological image, which was constructed mainly in the first decades of the twentieth century. The image of the adventurous Jewish city is accompanied in collective memory by the narrative of the heroic defense of Odesa in 1941.

During the Russo-Ukrainian war some base elements of the Odesa city mythology appear radically reloaded. Documenting this transformation in progress is beneficial for the research of the city mythology. The memorial landscape appears controversial through the numerous traces of Russian imperial history. The hypothesis of this project is that the current war will reload not only city mythology, but also the regional stereotypes inside Ukraine. The image of Odesa as an “island” may change as a result of the experience of regional solidarity. Interviewing and monitoring social media discussions enables gathering the material for research. Comparison with pre-war topics of collective memory enables pinpointing the transformations.