Whom to Mourn and Whom to Forget? (Re)constructing Collective Memory in Contemporary Russia

Abstract

Abstract This article analyses the reasons for the insignificant role that crimes committed during communist rule play in contemporary Russia. It argues that attitudes toward the Soviet past are a matter of politics and values much more than of knowledge. While the official historical memory and master narrative are not inclined to give an objective assessment of the Soviet period, the Russian public at large also does not want to make Soviet crimes a focal point in collective remembrance. Unwillingness to admit a society's own responsibility inevitably leads to its solidarity with the undemocratic power.