Nostalgia for the USSR: Images of the Soviet era in the media and political practice of modern Russia

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the topic of research is due to the increased role of the Soviet historical legacy in modern socio-political practice. The images associated with the Soviet period of national history are quite actively exploited by modern political and media discourse. Theoretical analysis. The research is based on the hypothesis that the mechanism of influence of the Soviet past on political and media practice is revealed through the social phenomenon of nostalgia. At the same time, the phenomenon of nostalgia is considered in its two types: reflexive and restorative. The subject of the study is the images of the Soviet era, produced by the myth-making practice, as well as the role and meaning of these nostalgic mythological images. Conclusion. The carried out theoretical analysis leads to the conclusion that the reflexive type of nostalgia is characteristic for media practice, the restorative type – for political practice. Reflexive nostalgia manifests itself not so much in the reinterpretation of the past as in the construction of certain mythological images that contribute to a safer perception of the past. Restorative nostalgia attempts to return the most significant symbols to political discourse, adapting them to suit opportunistic political goals. Since these mythological images occupy a central place, they can become an effective way to overcome various crisis phenomena.