The project aims to examine how Soviet repressions are remembered in post-multi-colonial, post-Soviet spaces and in countries, which were formerly dependent on the Soviet Union. It assumes that these regions are characterized by the coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, discursive, and aesthetic patterns of memory, where different memory policies are enacted and various religious denominations shape the collective memories. In these regions, different models of living with the dead can be found, while global memory trends influence these memories in distinct ways. Furthermore, these spaces, once part of the so-called Soviet sphere of influence, are now integrated into other geopolitical systems and economic and political dependencies, which also impact their relationship to the past.
Therefore, the project’s hypothesis suggests that the memory of Soviet repressions in post-multi-colonial, post-Soviet spaces is not monolithic or homogeneous, but rather consists of multiple facets, dimensions, and textures. The project seeks to describe this heterogeneous nature of memories of Soviet repressions and determine what the heritage of these repressions in post-Soviet spaces is.Moreover, the project raises the question of how Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, and the ongoing war, have updated and transformed these memories of Soviet repressions. Additionally, it explores how these memories are being mobilized in the decolonization processes of the studied societies from the influence of the Russian Federation.
The project is supported by the National Science Centre in Poland, and it is hosted by the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Warsaw. More information on the project are available on the project’s website.