Anti-Semitism in the late Soviet Union: The rise and fall of Pamyat movement

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the rise and fate of the Pamyat movement, which became one of the first nationalist groupings in the late USSR. The main idea implied in this analysis is primarily concerned with the task to illuminate the phenomenon of this “People's National-patriotic Orthodox Christian movement”, which would deflect from the mainstream of Russian nationalist movements and organizations that appeared after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Namely, it would be particularly valuable to outline ideological evolution of the movement that would transcend onto the path of idealistic monarchism intertwined with aggressive anti-Semitic and xenophobic posture promulgated by the organization. Initiated as a historical association, this movement would later take a shape that could not have been predicted by its creators. Subsequently, another goal embedded in this study is to show both role and legacy of Pamyat for development and maturing of far-right ideology in the post-1991 Russia. In the end, the article explains the main reasons of failure suffered by the movement: both objective and subjective. The study is based on chronological principle and employs a broad range of secondary data in the language of original. From methodological point of view, the article should be seen as an example of “interdisciplinary” study.