COLLECTIVE HISTORICAL MEMORY: THE BASIS FOR DEFINING THE CONCEPT AND ITS ROLE IN MODERN CULTURE

Relevance of the research. The concept of «collective historical memory» causes many controversies related to its content and use. The article is devoted to the problem of using the concept of «collective historical memory» and the analysis of the reasons for its allocation as a concept that has its own semantic content and essential features. The article examines its role and place in modern culture. The main aim of this article is to substantiate the semantic content and essential features of the concept of «collective historical memory», to show that it can be used as an independent concept. As a semantic concept, this concept does not replace others, it has a theoretical and heuristic value. Collective historical memory is the mental ability of social groups and the nation as a whole to symbolically reconstruct significant historical events in the process of collective memorization and oblivion, giving them a certain value interpretation. The article identifies significant differences between collective historical memory and ideology, defines the principle of complementarity as a principle describing the specifics of interaction between collective historical memory and historical science, indicates significant differences in the content of the concepts of «historical consciousness» and «collective historical memory», and identifies the reasons why these concepts can not be synonymous. Methods. Theoretical and methodological basis of research are the concept of memory as a social and cultural phenomenon (M. Halbwachs, P. Nora, P. Ricker, A. Assman et al.), research on the relationship of collective historical memory with ideology, historical science and historical consciousness (A. Althusser, S. Zizek, A.V. Rubtsov, H. Welzer, J. K. Olik, etc.) Conclusions. As a result of this analysis, the heuristic value of the concept of «collective historical memory» is justified. The author reveals its semantic content and internal contradictions that lead to terminological confusion in the socio-philosophical scientific discourse. The concept of «collective historical memory» has theoretical value, since it describes a unique phenomenon – the fundamental ability of social groups and the nation as a whole to preserve and reconstruct memories of shared historical experiences.