Overview

This course, supported by the Memory Studies Association, explores memory and historical culture in contemporary Russia through an examination of both state memory policies and grassroots initiatives. In Russia, official narratives are state-centred, emphasising patriotism and military achievement and , limiting critical discussion of topics such as the Second World War, Stalinist repression and the socio-economic transformations of the 1990s. This has intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the same time, independent voices — from bloggers to journalists and grassroots memory activists – are offering alternative perspectives, challenging official discourse and advocating for a more inclusive and critical approach to historical memory.

The course introduces the diverse ways in which Russia’s past is interpreted, contested and commemorated. We will analyse the role of museums, monuments, popular culture and public debates in shaping collective memory and historical narratives. Particular attention will be paid to the tensions between official memory policies and independent memory initiatives. Through a combination of academic readings, media analysis and case studies, participants will critically engage with the complexities, contradictions and conflicts of memory culture in Russia. The course includes lectures to provide in-depth introductions to key issues in contemporary memory and history culture.Seminars give participants opportunities to work with and and discuss various sources, analysing them independently and discussing them from a comparative perspective.