Shame and Pride in Collective Memories of Chinese and Russian University Studens

People’s perceptions of the past are interconnected with their national identity and, therefore, can influence their political behavior in the present. Due to this reason it is crucial to study collective memories of Chinese and Russian university students, who in 20 years will likely become leaders of the respective countries, ensuring cooperation between the states. A great number of studies have compared attitudes of western and eastern cultures. However, no study has been reported that compares perceptions of Chinese and Russian youths. This thesis aims to explore shame and pride in collective memories of Chinese and Russian university students. In order to study this subject, 200 in-depth interviews, taken by students of Higher School of Economics as part of the research project, were analyzed. The results of this research might be useful for projecting future development of the relations between two states.