Mapping as a Form of Representation and Interaction: Cartographic Practices in the Transformation of Kyiv’s Cultural Landscape

Abstract

Purpose of the Study. This research focuses on analysing the mapping of Kyiv as a cultural practice in its historical evolution — from the cartographic forms of the 19th–20th centuries to contemporary digital and artistic interpretations of urban space. The aim is to identify how mapping practices of different periods reflect changes in the city’s symbolic structure, interact with collective memory, influence the formation of urban identity, and serve as tools for redefining sign-symbolic systems in the context of modernisation, digitalisation, decommunisation, and derussification. The research methodology. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach that combines cultural analysis, urban studies, and the spatial theories of Henri Lefebvre and Michel de Certeau. A comparative-historical method is applied to analyse cartographic materials from different eras, while visual analysis is used to identify sign-symbolic dominants. The research also uses a case study of the contemporary cultural project Shukai as an example of interactive, affective cartography that merges representation with artistic rethinking of urban space. Scientific Novelty. For the first time, a comprehensive cultural analysis of Kyiv’s mapping practices has been conducted in the dimensions of interaction, representation, and transformation of the urban landscape. The study demonstrates that maps are not only navigation tools but also socio-cultural artifacts that record and shape the city’s symbolic logic. It substantiates that contemporary cultural mapping initiatives, including Shukai, create alternative maps of memory that represent a plurality of voices and experiences, combining elements of the map and the route. It also reveals that such projects activate a ‘living’ affective cartography, which restores the bodily, emotional, and narrative dimensions of the map. Conclusions. Mapping of Kyiv has evolved from decoratively detailed historical maps of the 19th–20th centuries, through utilitarian and ideologically standardised Soviet examples, to modern interactive and artistic forms that integrate digital technologies and public participation. Contemporary mapping practices not only document changes in the urban environment but also model new scenarios for its cultural appropriation. The Shukai project demonstrates the potential of mapping as a tool for shaping new urban narratives, stitching together fragmented layers of memory, and strengthening connections between the city, its residents, and visitors. In the context of Ukraine’s postcolonial transformation, such initiatives become important agents for rethinking the cultural landscape and revitalising local identity.