In the lecture Igor Romanov would like to present his thoughts about Ukrainian struggle for identity during current war with Russian Federation. His conclusions are grounded both on clinical psychoanalytical data and observation of social dynamic. He will try to demonstrate that foundation of identity based on “chosen trauma” is inevitable but dangerous because of involvement of primitive mechanisms of projection and splitting – so, the lessen of social cohesion and the searching of enemies (external and internal) instead of allies. Otherwise, an understanding the war itself as a war for identity could help much in understanding of current conflicts and tensions in Ukrainian society.
Igor Romanov is associate Professor of J. B. Shadt department of theoretical and practical philosophy of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University philosophical faculty. He is a psychoanalyst and Head of Ukraine Psychoanalytic Society (IPA study-group) Training Committee. As an author he works on psychoanalytic theory, technique, history, philosophy of psychoanalysis and applied psychoanalytic research. His Last publications are: Collective traumas – personal overcoming, Equation, moralization and denial, The wars inside and outside: Experience of war in a patient, a psychoanalyst, and a society in Ukraine, Contemporary propaganda and propagandistic states of mind, Modern history of Ukrainian psychoanalysis. He is also Head of Ukrainian program of Kleinian seminars and the program “Help for helpers” for Ukrainian frontline psychologists (supported by Melanie Klein Trust).