SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS IMPLEMENTING HISTORICAL POLICY (THE CASE OF UKRAINE, POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC)

The article unveils and defines the activities of specialized bodies that implement historical policy in Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic, and also identifies their common and distinctive features.It demonstrates the key role of these institutions in shaping historical memory in post-communist societies.The research was conducted using comparative, historical-chronological, and descriptive methods, applying analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction, which allowed for a deep and comprehensive analysis.The source base consists of official documents and legislative acts of the mentioned countries, ensuring the reliability of the presented data.A detailed analysis of the functioning of these institutions was carried out based on several main indicators: the process of formation, structure, funding, activities, and criticism.It was found that the process of forming memory institutions was directly determined by each state's unique historical path and its approach to overcoming the totalitarian past.For example, in Poland, the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) was created promptly, indicating a high level of public consensus regarding the re-evaluation of the Soviet occupation.In Ukraine and the Czech Republic, however, where there was no such clear and unambiguous distancing from the communist legacy, the relevant bodies appeared later and had less influence on political life.The Polish IPN plays a significant role in public life, not only carrying out educational activities but also conducting lustration processes and investigating crimes against the Polish people, with systemic state financial support.The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory changed its role from a purely research institution to a more active actor in historical policy after the events of Euromaidan and Russian aggression, which underscores the dynamism of its development.In contrast, the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in the Czech Republic traditionally remains a research body.The study focuses on criticism, as all these memory institutions are characterized by a high degree of politicization, which inevitably affects their work and causes debates regarding the objectivity and interpretation of historical events.