Who Makes Local Memories?: The Case of Sevastopol after World War II

Sevastopol, since becoming a part of independent Ukraine in 1991 (and part of the Ukrainian SSR for decades before) has consistently and overwhelmingly voted for pro-Russian candidates in each national election. While many political commentators have noted the demographics of predominately Russian speakers and the presence of the Russian fl eet in the ports to explain recent voting patterns, we must also take note of postwar myth creation. Although since 1917 Sevastopol has been juridically Soviet or Ukrainian, residents and outsiders alike usually view Sevastopol as a Russian city. Th e development of local identifi cation after World War II by the military, local offi cials, and guidebook authors helps to explain how Sevastopol so easily shed its identifi cation with the Soviet Union while also avoiding identifi cation with Ukraine.