Three Maidans in Ukraine. Social memory of young people’s dissent

Abstract

The article aims to present the social memory of revolutions occurring in Ukraine over the last three decades. The Revolution on Granite, the Orange Revolution, and the Revolution of Dignity constitute examples of young people’s revolutions, in which the students played a leading role in their initial stages. The research material was collected using the qualitative method. In-depth interviews conducted among respondents from different parts of Ukraine were used in the research. The research sample was purposely selected and consisted of 60 interviews. The results of the research indicate that Ukrainian society remembers the last two revolutions better. Knowledge of the Revolution on Granite is weaker. The first two revolutions are remembered as joyful events which inspired optimism for the future and promised positive changes. The Revolution of Dignity is a traumatic experience for the respondents, which is perceived through the prism of fear, anxiety, and dread. Disappointed hopes are also noticeable in the respondents’ statements. The respondents expected an improvement in living conditions and their economic situation, but it did not happen. Differences in the perceptions of protests among respondents from different parts of Ukraine were also observed. The respondents from Western and Central Ukraine recall the Maidans and their aftermath positively, while the respondents from Eastern Ukraine more often invoke negative memories of those events and their consequences.