ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the peculiarities in commemorative traditions of the veterans of the Afghan War, who find it difficult to express a coherent narrative regarding their war experience. It considers public memory as part of the discourse on Russian war in obituaries. The chapter examines the concept of collective memory and its correlation with individual memory. The Soviet war in Afghanistan should give rise to symbolic forms of recognition for the victims furnished by a certain generation. The extent of individualization permitted to the deceased warrior-internationalist's personality in the obituary, aside from rare exceptions possesses an instrumental significance: doing sports prepares one for army service; altruism prepares one for the collectivism and self-sacrifice of the army; and refusal to compromise earns respect and advances one into leadership positions in the army. Military obituaries as institutionally promoted commemorative texts also reflect important social strategies of memorialization/remembrance.
