UKRAINIAN MASS MEDIA (1941–2009) ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF KHRESHCHATYK IN SEPTEMBER 1941
Abstract
In 2022–2025, numerous air attacks targeting Kyiv led to the deaths of many non-combatants in Kyiv and the destruction and damage of hundreds of civilian buildings. Against the backdrop of these hostilities, modern mass media publications dedicated to similar events of the past look more topical. Waves of interest in the topic of the destruction of Khreshchatyk in September 1941 rise every year in hundreds of Ukrainian mass media. Working with historical material requires a high level of journalistic qualification. However, such qualifications are lacking in Ukrainian journalism. The study aims to create a fact-checking tool for mass media reports about the destruction of the Kyiv city center (September 1941).
The article analyses publications by Ukrainian mass media in 1941–2009 about the course and results of the explosions and fires that occurred in September 1941 in the center of Kyiv, in particular on Khreshchatyk Street and the adjacent quarters, as a result of the actions of Soviet saboteurs. Based on this analysis, as well as on the characteristics of Kyiv's tourist resources that were widespread in the 1910s, the author offers his own view on the loss of the city's architectural heritage, puts forward, and substantiates a hypothesis regarding the number of civilian casualties. The key, most influential Ukrainian mass media publications of 1941–2009 on the topic of the destruction of Khreshchatyk (September 1941) are identified, and the degree of correspondence of key mass media assessments to historical facts is established.
The study is carried out using cross-checking methods, searching for additional evidence and confirmations, with priority given to photographs and maps as sources of information, taking into account the circumstances of the creation of each text and the motivation of the authors. Relevant practical recommendations for academicians, educators, journalists, and other public opinion leaders are provided.
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References
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