Post-Soviet Nostalgia: Confronting the Empire’s Legacies

This collection of essays explores post-Soviet nostalgia as a discursive practice serving ideological agendas, demonstrating how feelings of loss and displacement are used for state building, national mobilization, and local resistance. It provides valuable insights for historians, literary scholars, and anthropologists interested in Russia's Soviet past.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This collection of essays, brought together by scholars from Russia, the United States, and Europe, is a groundbreaking exploration of post-Soviet nostalgia. By examining it as a discursive practice serving a diverse range of ideological agendas, the authors shed light on the complex phenomenon of how feelings of loss and displacement in post-Soviet Russia are transformed into powerful tools of state building, national mobilization, and local resistance. Through a rich tapestry of sources such as novels, memoirs, documentaries, photographs, and Soviet commodities, Post-Soviet Nostalgia offers a valuable resource for historians, literary scholars, and anthropologists interested in understanding how Russia grapples with its Soviet past.

The essays in this collection demonstrate how nostalgia becomes a tool for the state to reinforce its authority and control over society. The government uses nostalgia to promote a sense of national unity and pride, often by highlighting the achievements and values of the Soviet era. This nostalgia is also employed to suppress dissent and opposition, as it portrays the post-Soviet period as a time of instability and decline.

At the same time, nostalgia serves as a means of resistance for individuals and communities who feel marginalized or oppressed by the post-Soviet regime. It allows them to reclaim a sense of identity and belonging that was lost during the Soviet era. Memoirs, novels, and documentaries that evoke memories of the Soviet past provide a means of expressing and validating these feelings, and can contribute to the formation of a counter-culture that challenges the dominant narrative.

Post-Soviet nostalgia also plays a significant role in shaping cultural practices and values. It influences the way that Russians perceive their history, their place in the world, and their relationships with other countries. The revival of traditional Russian culture, music, and literature is often driven by a desire to reconnect with the past and reclaim a sense of national identity.

However, the use of nostalgia can also have negative consequences. It can lead to a romanticization of the Soviet era, which obscures the brutalities and injustices that occurred during that time. It can also contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices, as it reinforces the idea that Russia is a backward and isolated country.

In conclusion, post-Soviet nostalgia is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that serves a variety of ideological agendas. It is a powerful tool for the state to maintain control, but it can also be a source of resistance and empowerment for individuals and communities. By examining the ways in which nostalgia is used and interpreted in post-Soviet Russia, this collection of essays provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of this fascinating and important phenomenon.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367343996