The War as a Golden Age: Remembrance as Longing for the Brezhnev Era

During the 1990s, victory in the Great Patriotic War became the central symbol of collective memory. However, this is not really a matter of remembering the war; what is actually involved is a longing for the Brezhnev era. This was the period in which the image of a heroic war without any suffering...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Osteuropa (Stuttgart) 2005-04, Vol.55 (4-6), p.219-233
Main Author: Dubin, Boris
Format: Article
Language:ger
Subjects:
Authoritarianism (Political Ideology)
Collective Memory
Nationalism
Political Systems
War
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Summary:During the 1990s, victory in the Great Patriotic War became the central symbol of collective memory. However, this is not really a matter of remembering the war; what is actually involved is a longing for the Brezhnev era. This was the period in which the image of a heroic war without any suffering was created, & after a decade of social decline this era is now being seen as a golden age of material prosperity & national glory. Today, a new generation is seizing upon this image & adapting it to its own current needs. Like the old representation of the war in collective memory, the new form of remembrance is based on great power fantasies, social passivity, & isolationism, which are the ingredients of authoritarian regimes. Tables. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0030-6428