CHALLENGES OF ORAL HISTORY: DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE WHEN WORKING WITH NARRATIVES OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

Abstract

The article examines the professional training of future history teachers in the context of the transformation of historical knowledge into «living history», increasingly shaped by narratives of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The study emphasizes the necessity of integrating psychological and pedagogical support into history-related curricula in response to the increased risks of secondary traumatization, compassion fatigue, and emotional burnout among students working with wartime oral testimonies. It substantiates the thesis that engagement with traumatic historical sources requires not only source-critical and methodological expertise but also a well-developed emotional resilience as a core professional competence of educators.

The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical justification and to develop a methodology for fostering emotional resilience among history students during fieldwork and research activities involving narratives of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Additionally, the study identifies effective strategies for integrating mental health-supportive and psychohygienic practices into teacher education systems.

The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that synthesizes tools from pedagogy, trauma psychology, and oral history. The study employs general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, and modeling, alongside qualitative analysis of academic and methodological literature and the systematization of practical experience gained from students’ fieldwork. The methodological framework is grounded in the principles of huma­nistic pedagogy, ethical responsibility, and psychological safety within the educational process.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in conceptualizing emotional resilience not merely as an auxiliary personal trait but as a fundamental professional competence of future history teachers. A three-stage model for the development of this competence within field practice is proposed, encompassing: (1) a preventive stage; (2) direct engagement with oral testimonies; and (3) a post-interview stage focused on reflection and debriefing.

The conclusions demonstrate that under wartime conditions emotional resilience becomes a critical component of professional readiness. The proposed methodology contributes to minimizing psychological risks, fostering ethical responsibility and reflective capacity, and ensuring safe and effective engagement with traumatic historical narratives. The integration of psychological support into the educational process is identified as a prerequisite for training educators capable of working with a traumatized society while maintaining their own mental health.