THE MARIUPOL TEXT IN CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN DRAMA  AS A STUDY OF MEMORY AND A NEW COLLECTIVE SYMBOL  OF GENOCIDAL PRACTICES

Nataliia Yuhan

doi:10.23856/10.23856/6911

Nataliia Yuhan Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6845-6731

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23856/10.23856/6911

Keywords: contemporary Ukrainian drama, Mariupol Text, documentary drama, post- drama, existential tragedy of Ukrainianness, postcolonial trauma, Memory Studies

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the Mariupol text in contemporary Ukrainian dramaturgy as a study of memory and a new collective symbol of genocidal practices against the Ukrainian people. The methodology of the research is based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining strategies of literary analysis, the study of collective and historical trauma, memory studies, and postcolonial criticism. Theater and dramaturgy play a key role in the memorialization of Mariupol, transforming individual testimonies and experiences into artistic works that preserve the memory of the tragedy. Through theatrical art, contemporary Ukrainian plays preserve the authentic experience of survivors and honor the memory of those who perished. Documentary and postdramatic theater serve as a unique way to capture and convey the real experience of war. The use of eyewitness testimonies, excerpts from letters, diaries, and social media makes these performances as truthful and emotionally powerful as possible. This approach allows theater not only to inform but also to deeply impact the audience, compelling them to feel the horrors of war, the despair, and the hope of those who survived the Mariupol tragedy. The Mariupol text is gradually becoming a new national symbol of resistance that will remain in history as a reminder of the aggressor's crimes and the strength of Ukrainian resistance.

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