Authors

Discussion

Thе presentation reconstructs how the Soviet authorities appropriated the Cossack past over the course of the 20th century, transforming it into an ideological tool. I identify four distinct phases: 1) The 1920s: The Cossacks were primarily understood through the lens of class – as rebels when convenient and reactionaries when not – while early modern Ukrainian autonomy was dismissed as a feudal relic. 2) The turning point of the war (1940–1941) established a cinematic template (e.g. Bohdan Khmelnytsky), portraying 17th-century conflicts as steps towards historical necessity. 3) In 1954, the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Agreement canonised the main narrative of 'reunification', standardising the visual and textual repertoire (posters, stamps, commemorative editions, museum exhibitions and school textbooks). 4) Late socialism (1970s–1980s): the Cossacks were presented as a manifestation of mass culture, cultivating a 'safe' folkloric image. 

This presentation is based on an analysis of official documents and how they were used in sources reflecting everyday life, such as curricula, textbook content, films and posters. The presentation also briefly traces the subsequent history of this Soviet narrative in 21st-century public discourse, where the idea of Russians and Ukrainians as 'one people' has been repackaged to justify contemporary war. This case study illustrates how the legacy of the early modern Cossacks was utilised to legitimise unity and power within evolving Soviet regimes, and why this narrative remains pertinent today.