After the collapse of Communist rule in 1991, those loyal to the
old regime tried to salvage their political dreams by rejecting
some aspects of their history and embracing others. Yeltsin and the
democrats, although initially hesitant to rely on the patriotic
mythmaking they associated with Communist propaganda, also turned
to the national past in times of crisis, realizing they needed not
only to create new institutions, but also to encourage popular
support for them.
Kathleen E. Smith examines the use of collective memories in
Russian politics during the Yeltsin years, surveying the various
issues that became battlegrounds for contending notions of what it
means to be Russian. Both the new establishment and its opponents
have struggled to shape versions of past events into symbolic
political capital. What parts of the Communist past, Smith asks,
have proved useful for interpreting political options? Which
versions of their history have Russians chosen to cling to, and
which Soviet memories have they deliberately tried to forget? What
symbols do they hold up as truly Russian? Which will help define
the attitudes shaping Russian policy for decades to come?
Smith illustrates the potency of memory debates across a broad
range of fields -- law, politics, art, and architecture. Her case
studies include the changing interpretations of the attempted coups
of 1991 and 1993, the recasting of the holiday calendar, the
controversy over the national anthem, the status of "trophy art"
brought to Russia at the end of World War II, and the partisan use
of historical symbols in elections.
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