The cultural memory of Russian and Ukrainian diaspora in Australia - Progress Review Kristian Ireland

I’ve carried out a number of oral history interviews with adults in Australia who migrated from or who belong to migrant families originating in Russia, Ukraine, or the former Soviet Union. All the interviewees live in Australia. What is shared by the interviewees, among other things, is that their sense of identity is primarily familial and ancestral, and therefore accordingly cultural and historical to an extent. The interviewees' sense of identity is also influenced by place of domicile, being Australia. Although born in various different places, all interviewees are part of the story of the Soviet period, directly or indirectly, abroad and in Australia. It is relevant to consider some of the personal experiences of the interviewees and their families in relation to the Soviet period, including mass displacement events.