LAUSR

ABSTRACT The role of personal nostalgia in inspiring and sustaining resistance in the Ukraine during World War II was explored in narrative analysis of three memoirs. Common themes identified in the memoirs were compared to findings of current empirical psychological research. Nostalgia fortified the resistance by strengthening cultural identity, social bonds, attachment to home, and continuity of self. Nostalgic memories counteracted loneliness and supported cognitive-emotional coping during and after the struggle. Integration of present and past was instrumental in accepting personal growth in a new homeland. Findings shed light on the interaction between individual and social identity, the relationship between personal and historical nostalgia, and the distinction between healthy and maladaptive nostalgia.