‘Are the Post-Chornobyl Books Nature-Oriented?’: Ukrainian Children's Literature in Memory Dimensions

The Chornobyl nuclear disaster, which occurred in 1986 near Kyiv in the former Soviet Ukraine but had far-reaching impacts across Europe, gave rise to a literary phenomenon exploring the comprehension of this tragedy in relation to human and non-human elements, apocalypse versus technological progress, and the themes of memory and remembrance. Drawing on ecocritical approaches and memory studies, I analyse contemporary Ukrainian books for children and young adults, covering genres such as short stories, novels, eco-comics, and picturebooks. Continuing the tradition of nature-oriented Ukrainian children's literature, these post-Chornobyl books present the interplay between human, non-human, and technological imagery. Technological progress changes the histories of both humans and non-humans, leading to widespread suffering. The books serve as a poignant reminder of a new era of ecocide and genocide triggered by the war in Ukraine, where the ecosystem is under threat of destruction and nuclear facilities are being targeted for bombing.