EN
This article examines the relationship between collective memory (CM) and national identity. Author argues that this relationship has a obvious political nature. He claims that CM simultaneously determines national identity and also can be understood as a one of its major manifestations. He puts hypothesis that politics and politically determined discourse on national identity are impossible without memorizing, re-memorizing and forgetting. Over mentioned memory in the sphere of political attitudes and activities is permanently recollecting, reshaping or intentionally forgetting. The author deals with issues such as: CM as a subject of scientific discourse; definitions of CM; relationship between collective CM and history; dynamics of CM and its determinants, CM as a condition for the existence of the nation; relationships between memorizing and forgetting.