ABSTRACT
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transition to a new political and economic system have shaken the very core of national identity for all former citizens of the Soviet Union, including Russians. The corresponding widespread alienation and questioning have meant that many Russians are in search of touchstones that provide a sense of belonging and of historical continuity. The search for such national symbolism has inevitably led to the past. Yet for many Russians, the Russian past may be characterized as a minefield that must be negotiated with caution: both the tsarist and Soviet eras were associated with tyranny and oppression. Because of these dark associations, the post-Soviet period has seen a wide variety of approaches to history, including attempts to atone for past sins, manipulation of history, and – what during the second half of the 1990s was probably the most widespread approach – attempts to cultivate a vague image of Russia’s heritage in evocative artistic works and performances, in everyday and popular culture, and in rituals. This chapter addresses these arenas of cultural revival, focusing upon images of folk culture and their interaction with symbols of Cossack, Orthodox, and pre-Revolutionary culture.
