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History Education and the Collective Memory of the Soviet Period

Student: Valaityte Ruta

Supervisor: Valeria Kasamara

Faculty: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

Educational Programme: International Relations in Eurasia (Master)

Final Grade: 9

Year of Graduation: 2017

Political memory is too often analysed exclusively from the perspective of its construction. It is assumed that the historical narrative promoted in the top-down manner plays a role in consolidation of national identities. History education at secondary schools ‘is one of the most central societal mechanisms through which histories and political identities are produced, reproduced, and entrenched.’ Following the methodological gap in audience research identified by Wulf Kansteiner the thesis aims to explore how political memory of the Soviet period, as a top down, unified narrative promoted at schools is received by its compulsory audience – high school students in Russia and Lithuania. The thesis is based on an analysis of history textbooks and qualitative interviews with adolescents in Vilnius and Moscow. While the oppression and resistance based narrative in Vilnius seems to successfully instil patriotic sentiments. The Soviet memory largely based on victories and achievements is received critically by Russian adolescents.

Full text (added May 15, 2017)

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