| Abstract [eng] |
This paper examines Soviet nostalgia in Lithuania after the outbreak of the Russian-led war in Ukraine in 2022. Although Soviet nostalgia has been extensively studied in academic works, both qualitatively and quantitatively, this phenomenon has not been qualitatively investigated in Lithuania after the major political changes. The primary aim of this paper is to apply Halbwachs' theories of collective memory, Ekman and Linde's Soviet nostalgia dimensions, and Boym's types of nostalgia, alongside methods of meaning-structuring and interpretive qualitative research, to provide an overview of Soviet nostalgia in Lithuania after the beginning of war in Ukraine. It also seeks to analyze what role this phenomenon plays in the assessment of current geopolitical situation in Ukraine and Russia. The 21 qualitative interviews conducted are the main source of data for this work. Using the above theories and direct empirical data, a theoretical model has been developed, which allows to classify the informants into three main types: those who have a clear sense of Soviet nostalgia, those who have a partial sense of Soviet nostalgia, and those who do not feel nostalgic at all. The interpretive qualitative research method also looks at the role of Soviet nostalgia in the assessment of current geopolitical events related to Russia and Ukraine. The study showed that explicit nostalgia is rare among the informants, with partial nostalgia being the most common. And without exception, all informants condemn Russia's current actions against Ukraine. The topics of Soviet nostalgia is mostly limited to economic and social aspects of the Soviet system. The strong Soviet nostalgia and the critical attitude towards present-day Russia are best explained by the categorical separation of the two regimes, arguing that they have no similarities. The partial sense of Soviet nostalgia criticism to present-day Russia is explained by the fact that Russia is viewed critically from an ideological-political perspective, whereas Soviet nostalgia is reflected in quite different spheres, mainly socio-economic. For informants who do not feel Soviet nostalgia, the Russian war becomes another reason to criticise the Soviet past. |
