For centuries, Russia has systematically pursued a policy of erasing historical memory in various regions of Ukraine, including the south of the country. Myths about the “Russian foundation” of cities and the “civilizational mission” of the empire are the main elements of its propaganda. Scholars, civic activists and journalists, using the results of the UCMC study “Myths and narratives of Russian propaganda that destroy Ukrainian identity in the south and east of Ukraine: debunking and exposure” (https://uacrisis.org/uk/mif-ros-propagandy), analyze how imperial ideology shaped the areas of historical amnesia and what must be done to restore the true history and counteract it in the future.
The most popular thesis is “there was nothing before the Russians.”
According to Tetiana Kolosova, head of UCMC press center, a study conducted by UCMC in nine regions of Ukraine showed that even today many residents are sure that their cities were founded by the Russian Empire.
Even in Wikipedia today, you can find dates of city foundations that are based on the imperial vision rather than on real historical documents. Russian historiography has artificially attributed to itself the role of the “founder” of Ukrainian cities, and this false information has been ingrained in the minds of generations.
The most popular thesis is “there was nothing before the Russians.” This myth prevails in all nine regions studied: Mykolayiv, Kherson, Crimea, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. In the south, the idea that the Russian Empire brought civilization to “empty lands” is actively promoted. Catherine II is portrayed as the main “founder,” although numerous studies confirm that this territory had a developed culture long before the Russians arrived – from Greek colonization to the Scythian era and the era of Kyivan Rus.
Ihor Stambol, PhD in History, coordinator of the UCMC press center, notes:
“In the south, there is great admiration for Russian culture, for Pushkin, for those figures who supposedly built everything there. But our research proves that the southern regions of Ukraine were built contrary to what the Russian Empire wanted to do. Because the Russian Empire, like modern Russia, needed resources and needed territories to gain access to the sea.
We are told that the Russian Empire brought civilization and economic development to the region. Such theses are false, they glorify the empire that wants to glorify itself, because it is the only legitimate one. In other words, it created this law itself, created it for itself. And the indigenous peoples who have now gained freedom must refute this lie and prove their own truth, which is what we are doing now.”
In the language of historical facts: Kherson has existed twice as long as all of so-called Russia
The main thesis of imperial propaganda: “there was nothing here before the Russians” can be refuted by historical facts. Ukraine Crisis Media Center, together with historians and civic activists, conducted media campaigns to debunk the imposed Russian narratives. In particular, videos were created about the southern regions of Ukraine. Kherson has a long and rich history. Here are just a few facts from the video:
- The first mention of Oleshshia (the then name of Kherson) is found in the Chronicle of Rus in 1084.
- During the time of Kyivan Rus, it was an important port, a center of fishing and trade.
- In the 12th century, Oleshshia (Melisa) is mentioned on the map of the Arab geographer Al Idrisi.
- Archaeological finds suggest the existence of settlements in the Kherson region as early as the 3rd-2nd millennia BC.
- In 1778, Kherson was founded again as a military outpost of the Russian Empire. To do this, the Russian occupiers made the Cossacks and peasants leave their homes, and their place was taken by serfs.
For more facts about the ancient history of the Kherson region, see the video prepared by Ukraine Crisis Media Center
The war is now being fought on two fronts: on the battlefield and in the minds of Ukrainians
In the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the fight against propaganda is particularly important. We must both confront the aggressor on the battlefield and protect people’s minds from enemy narratives. This is what Olha Horbanos, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor at Kherson State University, is sure of.
“Since it began its existence, Russia has always tried to create a space of historical amnesia in Ukraine. It portrayed the history of Ukraine in a way that was beneficial to it ideologically and politically. And what you are doing is of great political, ideological, and national significance. It is our spiritual weapon. Your programs and videos are of utmost importance, because the war is now on two fronts: on the battlefield and in the minds of Ukrainians.”
It is no secret that the creation of Kherson was associated with the policy of Catherine II. This has been driven into the minds of ordinary people in Kherson for years, centuries. So it is no wonder that a dynamic stereotype has developed in people’s minds, which needs to be transformed, turned into Ukrainian concepts and markers.
“What is crucial now is to convey to Ukrainians that Kherson is an ancient city, and its development, functioning and existence are not only the merit of Russia, but also of all Kherson residents who have lived here since ancient times,” said Olha Horbanos, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor at Kherson State University.
She believes that it’s important to record that even during the occupation, Kherson remained a Ukrainian city. People gathered near the monument to Taras Shevchenko, stopped Russian tanks with their bare hands, and, for example, a student of Kherson State University won a prize in the All-Ukrainian competition of student works even during the occupation.
The fact that there has been a change in people’s attitudes in Kherson is also evidenced by the street renaming campaign as part of derussification and decolonization. A sociological survey conducted among the city’s residents, both those who remained and those who left, showed that two-thirds of respondents support the renaming and want to get rid of Russian history as soon as possible. This was stated by journalist, civic activist, and Kherson resident Dementiy Bely.
“Changes in people’s moods happened during the occupation, when they saw and experienced the ‘Russian world’ firsthand. Violence, terror, torture, the removal of historical archives and cultural heritage made the people of Kherson realize the true nature of Russians.
Not only is Russia trying to destroy Ukrainians, but it is also imposing its own narratives. In this context, it is extremely important to popularize the previously silenced facts,” believes Dementiy Bely.
The State Archive of the Mykolayiv Region holds collection of materials only from the end of the 19th century. And what happened before then?
The fact that the Russian Empire has pursued a policy of erasing historical memory of Ukraine for centuries is also confirmed by Yuriy Kotlyar, PhD in History, Professor at the History Department of Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University in Mykolayiv. According to him, the State Archive of the Mykolayiv Region holds collection of materials only from the end of the 19th century. And what happened before then? This remains an open question, because many valuable historical sources have been destroyed or taken to Russia, which makes it difficult to restore a complete picture of the past.
According to Yuriy Kotlyar, archaeological finds, play a decisive role in the fight against Russian historical myths. They are indisputable evidence of the existence of the ancient history of Ukraine, which Russia is trying to erase from memory. However, we have sources that no one has been able to take anywhere, and they are stored with us. These are archaeological sources. “The territory of southern Ukraine is actually the Black Sea lowland, a territory where history-making events took place. For example, the migration of peoples; it was inhabited by Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, and Greeks. There was a certain influence of various civilizations, Turkish-Tatar and all others. This history has been preserved in toponymy. It has also been preserved in archaeological sources. If we say that there was a Cimmerian city on the territory of Mykolayiv, then this is confirmed by archaeological sources. If we say that there are huge remains of Greek colonization on the territory of southern Ukraine, this can also be confirmed by archaeological research. These finds help restore the true history of Ukraine and counteract Russian propaganda,” the historian is convinced.
In the language of historical facts: the history of economic and cultural development of the territories of the Mykolayiv region
- 647-646 BC – Olbia.
The region was the most important Greek colony in the Lower Bug region, in the delta of the Hypanis (Bug) and Borysthenes (Dnipro).
- The 3rd millennium BC.
In its heyday, the area of the city of Olbia was about 50 hectares.
- 1399 – Mykolayiv.
The ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vytautas, built a fortress and a shipyard there.
- 16th century
Later, Cossacks lived there, who defended their native lands from the Turkish and Tatar invasions.
- 1648.
On the General Map of Ukraine by de Beauplan (as on many other European maps) the settlement of Vynohradna Krynytsia is marked on the site of modern Mykolayiv.
For more facts about the ancient history of the Mykolaiv region, see the video prepared by Ukraine Crisis Media Center
Reality works much better than myths
According to historian Yuriy Kotlyar, many sources confirming that the Mykolayiv region has a long history are stored in other countries.
“As for the Cossacks, we have a wealth of information in Turkey – the former Ottoman Empire. As for Mykolayiv and the activities of Grand Duke Vytautas, we have European sources, in particular Polish and Lithuanian archives,” Yuriy Kotlyar notes.
Much was taken out and destroyed. However, despite this, Ukrainians continue to exist, and the events of 2022 clearly showed that they reject these Russian narratives. But we need to work on changing stereotypes. Many people do not perceive this information, because at school they were told that Mykolayiv and Kherson had been founded during the Russian Empire, and, unfortunately, they cannot move away from this. Yuriy Kotlyar advises to convey the truth to people in different ways. In his opinion, few people will read large monographs and research papers written in a purely scientific style.
“The videos from the UCMC are extremely informative, perhaps not completely accurate in the historical context, but accurate enough to show the events that took place. Moreover, the videos should be short, because now even large lectures lasting an hour or 45 minutes will be watched by few people. Therefore, this work should be done, because Russia spends an enormous amount of money on propaganda. Combining all efforts will allow us to restore the true history,” the historian believes.
Local journalist Ihor Danilov expressed his opinion on the past and future of Mykolayiv. He believes that all Russian myths will have practically no special significance, because reality works much better than myths.
“Although the older generation felt nostalgic about the Soviet Union, now, after the attacks, after all the troubles, after the destruction of the Mykolayiv water supply system, everything connected with Russia will be perceived in a negative light,” the journalist from Mykolayiv is convinced.
According to him, the world is returning to positive history, to victories that can be perceived at the level of world history. For example, Mykolayiv can be presented as a city of the Cimmerians with the most ancient archaeologically confirmed history. Perhaps it is not the first, but this is the city that Homer wrote about. It arose earlier than Troy and earlier than the Greek cities-states.
“Any empire lives on foreign territories. Any empire exists at the expense of the conquered. Any conquest is accompanied by a reinvention of the conquered. At best, all that remains of the indigenous people is toponymy,” wrote Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Kazarin in his book “The Wild West of Eastern Europe.”
And to prevent this from happening, we must preserve our national identity, which the Russian Empire, then the USSR, and now the Russian Federation have always tried to destroy. “It is extremely important for us now to preserve, realize, cherish, and make our civic identity sustainable. This is what will allow us to protect our country, and of course, our nation needs the past, but now we are fighting for our future,” noted head of UCMC press center Tetiana Kolosova at the end of the conversation.
The information campaign on debunking Russian myths about Ukraine is based on materials from a special study conducted by the Ukraine Crisis Media Center “Myths and narratives of Russian propaganda that destroy Ukrainian identity in the south and east of Ukraine: debunking and exposure.”
The event was held as part of the project “Strengthening Information Resilience in Ukraine” in partnership with the International Practitioners’ Partnership Network (Estonia) with the support of the European Union.
