Lugares de memória ucraniana em Prudentópolis (1985-1995)

Abstract

This research addresses the construction and maintenance of the sites of memory and of the Ukrainian cultural identity in Prudentópolis, Paraná, between 1985 and 1995. The study aligns with the Research Line “Culture and Identities” and the area of concentration of the PPGH at Unioeste, “Labor, Culture, and Power”, as it focuses on the processes of identity construction and the production of collective meanings through the establishment of sites of memory linked to the Ukrainian community in Prudentópolis. The research focuses on three main historical landmarks: Museu to Milênio (the Millennium Museum), Praça Ucrânia (the Ukraine Square) and the Monument to poet Taras Shevchenko, with the aim of understanding how these places contribute to the maintenance of the Ukrainian identity in Brazil, by analyzing both the historical aspects of immigration and the need to create these sites of memory. The research is anchored in theories of cultural identity and collective memory, making use of concepts from Stuart Hall (2006), Manuel Castells (2018), Maurice Halbwachs (2004; 2023), Paul Ricoeur (2007) and Pierre Nora (1993). Nora (1993) conceptualizes the sites of memory as remains of a past that are brought into the present and re-signified according to their relevance for the construction of cultural and social identities. In this context, this research explores how Ukrainian immigrants adapt and transform their cultural practices in a new context. The analysis reveals that, in addition to preserving traditions and stories, these places of memory act as symbolic anchors that reinforce collective narratives, promoting a sense of integration and continuity within the Ukrainian community. Thematic interviews and analyses of written sources are used, such as the Book of Minutes of the Committee for the Pro-Construction of the Monument to poet Taras Shevchenko and of the Museu do Milênio, and articles published in the Prácia newspaper. Visual sources, such as photographic records of events and of sites of memory and their collections are also used in order to complement the historical analysis about them. The methodological approach seeks to understand the motivations that involve the creation of sites of memory, how these places are organized and how they contribute to the Ukrainian community for the demarcation of ethnic boundaries (Barth, 1998). The construction and permanence of these sites enhance discourses that propagate historical narratives, giving meaning to the past and corroborating the feeling of belonging and continuity of traditions for future generations.