Abstract

The changes to which the Russian state and its peoples have been subjected since the disintegration of the Soviet Union have revolutionized not only the political, social and economic system; they have shaken the foundations of national identity. A preoccupation with the past has thus become a dominant factor in the public debate. The meaning of Russia's past, or rather its narrative, is in a process of continuous deconstruction, reshaping and negotiation by various social and political groupings. Of the deluge of group memories which have broken loose, this collection focuses on several new voices which have never been heard in Russia in this way before: women, Tatars, Cossacks, as well as the voices of religious and provincial populations.