MEMORIALIZATION AND WAR TOURISM: CONCEPT AND MECHANISMS OF INTERACTION

Abstract

The relevance of the study: in the context of the Russia–Ukraine war, the issue of preserving historical memory acquires particular significance. Memorial practices serve as a means of collective reflection on the past and as a factor shaping new forms of tourism. At the same time, the relationship between war tourism and memorialization processes requires a comprehensive scholarly interpretation. Subject of the study: the interaction between memorialization and war tourism as sociocultural phenomena that jointly form the space of war memory. Purpose of the study: to reveal the conceptual foundations for the formation of the war–tourism space by analyzing commemorative practices and identifying their role in creating “places of memory”. Methodology: the research applies system-structural and interdisciplinary approaches, methods of comparative, conceptual, and discursive analysis, as well as synthesis, induction, deduction, typological analysis, and scientific generalization. Research results: the essential features of commemoration and war tourism have been examined, and the key characteristics of contemporary memorial practices have been defined. The typological structure of war tourism and its correspondence with various memorial manifestations have been demonstrated. The principal instruments and forms of war memory have been identified. Scientific novelty: the relationship between commemoration and war tourism as interconnected sociocultural phenomena has been systematized and theoretically generalized. The main instruments and mechanisms linking war tourism and the culture of memory have been systematized. Practical significance: the obtained results can be applied in the development of conceptual and cartographic models of Ukraine’s war–memorial space, in the enhancement of educational programs in tourism studies, anthropology, and sociology, as well as in planning war-tourism routes and museum–memorial projects. Conclusions: the study confirms that commemoration is a significant factor in the development of war tourism, shaping a specific sociocultural space of war memory. It has been revealed that contemporary memorial practices are increasingly acquiring a hybrid character. Further research should focus on developing geospatial models of memory and interpreting local narratives within Ukraine’s context.