The Local Community Activities on the Formation of Civic Identity by Means of Memory Policy

The article investigates the experience of memory policy implemented by local communities in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The authors aim to demonstrate that assessing the effectiveness of forming civic identity should not be limited to analyzing the means and methods of federal, state symbolic politics while neglecting the efforts of local communities in this area. Content analysis identified the main actors of memory politics in the municipalities of the region, the symbolic politics tools they use, forms of collaborative work, their normative framework, and substantive content. The study confirmed the effectiveness of local communities’ efforts in forming a common civic identity. The results of a sociological survey conducted in the municipalities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug revealed that the sense of civic identity directly correlates with historical memory. The more developed the historical consciousness of citizens, which is centered around historical memory, the stronger the sense of civic identity.