МАСОВЕ ПЕРЕЙМЕНУВАННЯ НАСЕЛЕНИХ ПУНКТІВ ІЗМАЇЛЬСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ В 1945 Р. ЯК МЕТОД ОРГАНІЗОВАНОГО ЗАБУТТЯ
MASS RENAMING OF SETTLEMENTS IN IZMAIL OBLAST IN 1945 AS A METHOD OF ORGANIZED FORGETTING

Summary/Abstract: The article is dedicated to the study of the mass renaming of settlements in the Izmail oblast in 1945, which is considered one of the tools of the politics of organized forgetting implemented by the Stalinist regime. The large-scale renaming campaign, which contained the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR in 1945–1946, had specific characteristics in the Izmail oblast, which are the focus of this research. By comparing the proposals from the Izmail Regional Executive Committee with the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on the renaming of settlements, the author identified the main criteria used by Soviet authorities in renaming settlements, examined the reasons why certain names remained unchanged, revealed differences in nomination approaches between local and central authorities, and highlighted ideological names that were rejected in the process of reviewing the proposals. A semantic analysis of Soviet oikonyms allowed the identification of the main groups of new names, while quantitative analysis clarified the priorities of Soviet naming policy in the region. The results of the research suggest that the Stalinist regime aimed to erase ties with the historical past, separating the region from its multiethnic heritage reflected in the topographic diversity. The objects of denotation were foreign-language names of settlements that historically emerged during the region’s colonization in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In drafting proposals for renaming, the local authorities generally did not attempt to clarify the origin of the oikonym and proposed new names of an artificial and ideologically charged nature. Conversely, the naming politics of the central authorities was characterized by an effort to avoid the concentration of ideological names and a partial use of names that were semantically close to the previous foreign-language names. At the same time, most Soviet oikonyms had an artificial neutral character, indicating an intention to create a homogeneous toponymic space to form a new, unified collective memory. The findings of this study may be useful for understanding the mechanisms of memory politics during the High Stalinism years, as well as their impact on regional identity and historical consciousness among residents of the south of Odesa region.

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