ABSTRACT

The collapse of the USSR plunged the republics, utterly unprepared for the return of private property and enterprise, into social, cultural, and economic chaos. What ensued throughout the 1990s was, in Stephen Kotkin’s evocative phrase, “a cannibalization of the Soviet era,” with the rapid privatization of state property and with an influx of ineffectual economic reforms intended as a move towards stability. Present-day Russia has a vexed relationship with its Soviet past. Especially in recent years, following a series of economic crises and a palpable worsening in its relationships with the West, there is a sense of nostalgia for what is perceived as a time of global prominence and internal cohesion. Public polls show that over the past several years, Russian citizens have begun to express increased respect for Stalin, opining that his role in the history of Russia has been beneficial for the country and its people.