RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BEGINNING OF RUSSIA’S FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE THROUGH THE PRISM OF ORAL HISTORY EXEMPLIFIED BY KHERSON

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to analyze oral historical evidences given by witnesses concerning examination and reconstruction of preparedness/unpreparedness of the city-dwellers for the beginning of military actions and their behavior on the first days of Russian forces’ invasion of Kherson. Methodological foundations of the research are oral history and sociological research. Main research results. The main task set by the author was to reveal the specificity of moral and psychological preparedness of Kherson dwellers for the full-scale invasion and the view from the inside on the processes which occurred on the first days of military actions. The main source used in the research is the documentary stories of Kherson dwellers of different age and social status. The main emphasis was put on the use of the latest memories which are a result of deep traumas. They allow analyzing the modern history of Ukraine from the inside. It is very important since neither photos, nor video-materials reveal the depth of the experienced events and fill the history with moral and psychological content. The research elucidated the following issues: the beginning of the full-scale invasion; examination of the preparedness of bomb shelters, evacuation of the local population, enterprises, organizations, culturaleducational institutions; the behavior of the local people; the formation of the self-organized groups of self-defense and TDF (Territorial defense Forces); the beginning of occupation. Conclusions. Interviewing allowed finding out that: Kherson dwellers were not mainly prepared morally and psychologically for the beginning of the full-scale invasion; people, enterprises and cultural-educational institutions were not evacuated; bomb shelters mainly appeared to be unsuitable for exploitation. The dominant emotions of the first days of the beginning of Russian aggression were fear, anger, hate and rage. Despite a lack pf preparedness, Kherson dwellers could gather in self-organized groups of selfdefense and TDF, however, unfortunately, not all of them managed to survive that dangerous time.