The Victory Myth and Russia's Identity

Author(s): Ivo Mijnssen
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 72
Pages: 6-9
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen
Publication Year: 2010

The Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany is again a central tenet of Russian national identity. The Russian government sees the dissemination of the victory's true, uncritical interpretation, particularly among the youth, as a crucial task, in which it is being supported by patriotic youth organizations such as Nashi. While these groups seem to be rather successful domestically, their efforts cause resistance in the non-Russian post-Soviet space. The victory myth, as well as the demand for a powerful Russia that goes along with it, contributes to a consolidation of Russian identity. Simultaneously, the country finds itself caught up in numerous bitter disputes over history with its neighbors.

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