Description
Book SynopsisThe 1943 battle to free the Soviet Black Sea port of Novorossiisk from German occupation was fought from the beach head of Malaia zemlia, where the young Colonel Leonid Brezhnev saw action. Despite widespread scepticism of the state's appropriation and inflation of this historical event, the heroes of the campaign are still commemorated in Novorossiisk today by an amalgam of memoir, monuments and ritual. Through the prism of this provincial Russian town, Vicky Davis sheds light on the character of Brezhnev as perceived by his people, and on the process of memory for the ordinary Russian citizen. Davis analyses the construction and propagation of the local war myth to link the individual citizens of Novorossiisk with evolving state policy since World War II and examines the resultant social and political connotations. Her compelling new interdisciplinary evidence reveals the complexity of myth and memory, challenging existing assumptions to show that there is still scope for the local community - and even the individual - in memory construction in an authoritarian environment. This book represents a much-needed departure from the study of myth and memory in larger cities of the former Soviet Union, adding nuance to the existing portrait of Brezhnev and demonstrating the continued importance of war memory in Russia today.
Trade Review`Using the example of Malaia zemlia, Davis deftly dissects the Soviet Union’s wartime myth-making, laying bare the processes by which myths were propagated and maintained. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, this is a profound and significant study.’ – Roger Moorhouse, author of The Devils' Alliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin, 1939-1941, `In his ghost-written memoirs that describe his participation during the Great Patriotic War, Leonid Brezhnev describes the area around Novorossiisk as `great’, for these `little lands (Malaia zemlia in Russian)’ became `soaked with the blood of heroes devoted to their cause’. These `Little Lands’ have been bound up ever since in Brezhnev's myth-making attempts, seen as a sideshow to the real war fought elsewhere and dismissed as part of the bombastic war cult Brezhnev helped to construct during his years in power. In this outstanding new history, Vicky Davis takes us beyond these notions. She examines Novorossiisk as a case study in how a war myth develops and how it evolved across time. In doing so, Davis expands our understanding of the Great Patriotic War in memory and provides a much-needed local story to how the war myth functioned outside of the capitals. Davis listens to locals in Novorossisk, allowing their voices to be heard in this story. Myth Making in the Soviet Union and Russia traces the emergence of a local, multivalent memory culture of the campaign that predated Brezhnev's memoir and that has had remarkable staying power in the city itself.’ – Stephen M. Norris, Professor of History, Miami University, `The World War II campaign in Russia is little known to the Western reader, but became the inspiration for this British historian’s reflections on the interrelationship of historic myth, cultural values, politics and ideology. Through the prism of local history, Vicky Davis not only offers an original perspective on post-war and modern Russia but also touches upon the acute methodological problems of studying historic memory. The book gives strong impetus to think about the interrelation of sincere human feelings and politics. For the Russian reader, to whom the Great Patriotic War remains sacred, some of the comments may seem controversial, but without doubt, this book will be of interest to both specialists and the general reader.’ – Irina Lapshina, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and Head of the World History Department, Vladimir State University, `Vicky Davis's book is a fascinating insight into the way different stakeholders attempt to shape the memory of historic events, and the continuing importance of the Second World War in Russian identity. Through painstaking research in archives and on the ground, including many interviews, Davis's study reminds us that commemoration and remembrance create competing, overlapping and conflicting narratives, and although a dominant version of the past may emerge, it never achieves total acceptance and legitimacy. Her study is of value to both specialists in Russia and the Slavonic world, and those interested in war memory and commemoration.’ – Mark Connelly, Professor of Modern British History, University of Kent
Table of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations Introduction: The Myth of Malaia zemlia 1.What is a War Myth? Part 1 War Correspondence and Memoirs: The Construction of the Myth through Literature37 2.A Myth is Born: War Correspondence from Malaia zemlia 3.Early Memoir Literature 4.Brezhnev's War Memoirs 5.Beyond Brezhnev and Brezhnevism Part 2 Leonid Brezhnev: Local Legend or National Statesman? 6.Brezhnev Comes to Town 7.The Godfather 8.The Making of a Modern Legend 9.The State Comes to Town Again Part 3 Respect for the Dead: Ritual and Monumental Remembrance 10.Hats off to Heroes: The Beskozyrka Ritual 11.Myth and Monuments: The Place of the Dead 12.People on the Periphery Part 4 Meetings of Generations: Teaching the Young to Remember 13.Genes and Generations: Informal Transmission of Memory in the Family 14.The Educational Role of Veterans 15.Formal Education of the Younger Generation Conclusion: Looking Back to the Future Appendix 1 Some Comments about Novorossiisk Appendix 2 Interviewing Subjects in Novorossiisk Select Bibliography
