The Memory Policy in the Caucasus after 1989: a Theoretical Basis for the War Narrative in Chechnya

The article examines the strategic war narrative as a tool used by the state after 1989 to justify the start of a war or justify its end. Based on the understanding of this term, introduced into the popular science turnover by M. Vlahos, the author of the article expands the conceptual framework by referring to the narrative principle of collective memory by J. Verch. It is concluded that the war narrative is partly similar to the concept of mnemonic security (as well as other hegemonic forms of memory), which is tested on the A. Pető's concept. A review of key domestic and foreign research works on the topic is carried out. The key elements of the war narrative (symbols, sacrifice, etc.) within political dimension are identified, as well as the victory narrative, which was in demand in the first months of V. V. Putin (coinciding with the outbreak of hostilities in Chechnya in the period since 1999 and the continuation until 2009 in the form of counter-terrorism measures on the territory of the republic and the border regions of the North Caucasus).

Keywords

memory policy, instability, war narrative, Chechnya, Caucasus, historical memory, victory narrative

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation within the framework of the project № 17-18-01411-P “Wars and the population of the South of Russia in the 18th — early 21st centuries: history, demography, anthropology”.

Received

16.09.2021

Publication date

15.11.2021

Number of characters

53153

Cite

GOST	Goryushina E. The Memory Policy in the Caucasus after 1989: a Theoretical Basis for the War Narrative in Chechnya // ISTORIYA – 2021. – V. 12. – Issue 10 (108) [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840017352-6-1 (circulation date: 23.07.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840017352-6
MLA	Goryushina, Evgeniya "The Memory Policy in the Caucasus after 1989: a Theoretical Basis for the War Narrative in Chechnya." ISTORIYA 12.10 (108) (2021) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840017352-6
APA	Goryushina E. (2021). The Memory Policy in the Caucasus after 1989: a Theoretical Basis for the War Narrative in Chechnya. ISTORIYA 12(10 (108)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840017352-6

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