United Russia’s "History" project: «Invaders have occupied the Kremlin»
The “United Russia” party has published a booklet ” 'Historical memory', The Party project” which not only demonstrats the goals of the Project (capital letter), but also offers a brief illustrated chronicle of Russian history – What exactly should be remebered today and Why. History turns out to be a collection of legends and myths aimed at strengthening Russian nationhood and giving a lesson in patriotism.
Narrative and the view of the world
The narrative, though using dates and historical events (with the year 2012 as a memorable date as well, for instance – 200th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War and 400th anniversary of People's Unity), does not refer to reality, but is a source of reality and knowledge. The narrator is the whole Russian society and even the whole mankind; being anonymous, the narrator (the author of the text – A. V. Yermakov – is indicated in small print on the last page) dos not need documents or historians' works, he is as if authorized by history itself – his words do not leave space for doubts or discussions. Such a kind of narrative is mythological (see in more detail Mikhail Glovinsky. Do not let the past flow. The history of the Bolshevik party as a mythocal story// Novoye literaturnoye obozreniye, № 22 (1996)): the time is cyclic, heroes are single-type, any event serves as a sign for a whole (any specific battle and the consequent Great Victory, filling the map and the time of history, is an example of sacred, spiritual and advanced Russia). A well-organized and mythological view of the world is is taking shape: enemies encroach on the Sacred Russia, but it gets the better of evil and chaos.
Characters
There are two levels of characters in the book. At a more general level the subject of history is Russia itself (Rus', power, Homeland): the main verbs of action and descriptions of historical “realities” are connected with it. In a geopolitical interpretation of history some countries also appear as subjects entering coalitions, declaring wars to each other and dreaming of world supremacy. However, here Russia as a living (and, of course, a spiritual) creature acts in a space with no countries, people, historical laws or any specific details.
«… not so many years passed, and Rus' not only managed to build the old churches anew, but adorned itself with many new ones» (p.16)
«A huge country in the east of Europe having recovered the violence of the Time of Troubles, shows one's head and slowly squares its shoulders» (p.18)
«In 1812 noy only the fate of Russia, but the fate of the whole world was at stake on these Russian fields» (p.24)
«Russia has been one of the most progressive counries for many centuries, it is our duty to remember about this superiority» (p.28)
But there is also a second level – «saint people», «legendary Russian heroes», «people whose names are sacred for Russia». This is already a number o specific figures with a distinct continuity between them, from ancient times (everything starts with alexander Nevsky) until the present moment (the chair of the Duma Boris Gryzlov and patriarch Alexy II on a photo) – the ranks of those who “work and create for the good of Russia”. Among those mentioned are:
- Russian heroes and monks Peresvet and Oslyabya
- princes-warriors and saint princes (Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Yuri Vladimirsky, Yuri Zvenigorodsky),
- tsars (Ivan the Terrible, Alexey Mikhailovich, Peter I, the House of Romanov),
- military genuises (commander Kutuzov, generals platov and Uvarov, Pyotr Bagration, Russian saint admiral-hero Fyodor Ushakov, Minin and Pozharsky, general Beloborodov A.P.; though not a word about Stalin, or such a formation as the “Soviet Union”, at that Stalin fits into the image of a hero quite well),
- representatives of the clergy (Savva Storozhevsky, patriarch Nikon, prelate Tikhon)
- foremost people in science and technology (D. Mendeleev, M. Lomonosov)
- representatives of the classical Russian culture (Pushkin, Polenov, Turgenev, Bunin, Rimsky-Korsakov),
- as well as: «Russian soldiers and officers perished near Borodino and Maloyaroslavets» and «a genuinely great nation».
However, concreteness of the characters is relative: they don't possess individual human features, they are depersonalized and are like one another, in fact, they are supermen. The activity of Russian heroes is committing deeds; they rebuff the enemy and set an example for other countries making Russia an advanced state:
«Many Russian outstanding naval commanders, though born far from the sea shores, could fight an enemy at sea as surely as Englishmen, Spaniards or Swedes» (p.26)
«Some people are used to thinking that Russia is let's say 200 years behind “developed countries” in science and technology… Russia has been one of the most progressive counries of the world for many centuries…» (p.28)
we may speak of negative identity: it is formed as a result of fighting alien, hostile, different and is connected wth military, combat qualities and at the same time a complex of the victim; the notion of “border” is exclusively important for it separating the profane (the rest of the world) from the sacred.
«The deed of the warrior-princes Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy has been inspiring Russian warriors guarding the sacred borders of the Homeland for many centuries already» (p.12)
What is happening inside these borders (i.e. the history) is also sacred and is considered as the highest value:
«our people, our state derive strength and power from inexhaustible ancient spiritual sources» (p.36)
«Today, joining the efforts, we are grain by grain restoring the lost. To remember!» (p.32)
Encircled by enemies
Heroes (with a list of them provided) are ighting enemies who are presented either as an anonymous power or in an uncertain plural. They and the results of their actions are described as follows: «a cruel and hard ordeal», «the universal ruin and devastation», «the enemies' violence», «plunder, ruin, war». A more detailed, but as anonymous, picture of the hard times is given twice:
1. the Time of Troubles: «The Time of Troubles became a cruel and hard ordeal for Russia. Outlaws robbed peaceful cities and villages with impunity, invaders occupied the Kremlin. Only a genuinely great nation was able to overcome the universal ruin and devastation.» (p.16)
2. the first half of the XX-th century: «The first half of XX century is a heavy weight on the heart of those who cherish memory. Revolutions, wars, “outrageous 5-year plans” and inhuman repressions took the lives of millions, wiped thousands of architectural monuments off the face of the earth» (p.32).
The main action of the enemies is the desctruction of the idyll and sacred places (in most cases the matter concerns various churches; lost of photos are enclosed; more rarely – the cities; the only time people are meant – see the previous quotation, but the “enemy” remains an unnamed, impersonal power). The main heroic action is the defense of the Homeland and fulfilment of deeds and inspiration of descendants to defense and heroic deeds.The main action for descendants – “remember!”, admire the sacred places and restore them (which, in particular, the Party project “Historical memory” appears to be doing):
«the Moscow church of Christmas in the Old Simonov cloister, which is being restored within the framework of the party project “Historical memory” is already open to all those willing to pay homage to the graves of legendary Russian heroes and monks Peresvet and Oslyabya» (p.12)
(other goals of the Project:
«cultural, spiritual and moral restoration of Russia, strengthening of Russian nationhood, building and development of patriotic feelings, unification of the Russian nation, interethnic consent, preservationof cultural and spiritual environment» (p. 38)).
Topography of the sainthood
During hard times heroes come onstage defeating the enemy. Places of the battles are memorial places, legendary places, places of famous victories and battles of war glory:
«memorial places connected with their main deeds, until recently were in a bad condition. We even had to look for the place of the famous victory at the Chudskoye lake with the help of archaeologists. Meanwhile it is this very victory of the saint prince Alexander that opens the list of the days of the military glory of Russia in accordance with the federal law. Today this legendary place should become a field of military glory» (p.12)
In a wider sense the whole map of Russia becomes a memorial place (a sacred space): it unites towns-fortresses, towns-outposts with churches at their “heart” (destroyed by the enemies but restored by grateful descendants):
«Glorious towns-fortresses of Rus' – Sviyazhsk and Tikhvin were in the middle of XVI century advanced posts of the Muscovy in the east and north-west of the country. Temples dedicated to Our Lady were their hearts.Monuments dating back to the times of Ivan the Terrible can tell a lot about the formation of our state, but for this we need to preserve them!» (p.14)
The present-day symbolic marking of the map after the Great Patriotic War follows the same logic: Russia is covered by a network of heroic cities with an eternal flame at their heart (with which old Soviet commemoration rituals are connected) and war memorials of a religious kind – chapels (with which religious commemoration riausl are connected).
Religious line (and to be more precise, the harmony between the state and spiritual power) is an important part of the project “History”. It is not accidental that the destruction of churches is considered the most terrible crime, and their restoration becomes a manifestation of a patriotic impulse and joining history:
«At present return to historical roots, revival of spiritual traditions can be observed. United Russia Party has assumed an obligation to restore the unique shrine (Feodorovsky Cathedral in St.Petersburg is meant, which was turned into a dairy factory during the Soviet times – Yu.Ch.) showing to everyone its sincere aspiration to bring to the nation its historical memory and hopes that the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the House of Romanov will take place in the reconstructed cathedral» (p.9)
The Sun of the third Rome
If the Time of Troubles (followed by 400-year-long “People's Unity”) is one of the most terrifying moments in the history (outlaws robbing peaceful villages, indavers occupying the Kremlin), the second half of XVII century is one of the most idyllic epoches.This is the Golden age of Russia, the condition to which it aspires despite the enemies' intrigues. Church domes are generously gilded. The borders (and hence the sacred space inside them) are rapidly expanded ready to absorb (save/ free from evil) the whle world. Relations with one's past are idyllic. Moscow is the capital of our country. A great duo is heading the country – “two great figues” (tsar Alexey Mikhailovich and patriarch Nikon). And most importantly – no chronicler's delight will seem excessive: what is meant for historical memory is reliably cut off fro reality and turned into a brilliant myth. It relies on emotional involvement:
«Russia of the second half of XVII century, the last century of Russian Middle Ages. A huge country in the east of Europe having recovered the violence of the Time of Troubles, shows one's head and slowly squares its shoulders. Its borders with unprecedented speed expand in all directions. In the center of this new world state, shining the gold of its domes, rises the first capital the reigning city of Moscow, called the third and the last Rome. The Moscow monarch is raised high on the throne like a heavenly body. And the bright descending sun of Ancient Rus' illuminates the walls of the new Jerusalem near Moscow, built with the help of the efforts of two great figures of Russian history – tsar Alexey Mikhailovich and partiarch Nikon – in unprecedented short terms» (p.18)
Consequences
The booklet of “United Russia” on the history of United Russia, in terms of
- the set and the nature of its heroes (most of them are warriors or representatives of the supreme state power, whose actions are always right and justified),
- conspirological vision of history (any troubles are caused by an external source – they are the enemies' intrigues),
- way of describing the enemies (impersonal hostile powers),
- mythological structuring of historical time (from victory to victory),
- disposition to moral lecturing,
- emphasizing the superiority of the Homeland
- orientation towards emotional perception and not critical thinking
– is quite comparable with history textbooks and other forms of representations of Stalin's times (movies, popular biographies of historical figures, theatre performances, etc. – see in more detail D. Brandenberger “Stalin's mass culture and the formation of Russian national consciousness (1931-1956)», see the review- here). However, this book, despite its ideological, “moral and spiritual” claims, does not, of course, and is unlikely to play such an important and defining role for the whoel society: is it not to learn by heart, as was the case with the textbook of the history of the Bolchevik party, it is not incorporated in educational or cultural system and could, in fact, stay unnoticed. But it very expressly shows the interest, aspiration of the political power to a certain type of historical narration, thinking and control over the past, and moreover – in a matter-of-fact sense – turns our connected with the distribution of fuding of concrete historical “projects” (reconstruction of churches and memorial places – places of war glory, organization of state holidays, anniversarial celebrations of memorial dates, etc.) and is a part, if not the basis, of the modern-day Russian historical policy.
Note:
The design and layout of the book was prepared by the publishing house “Slavyanka” (Orthodox women's magazine not containing “accidental and questionable materials”) and «National Russian magazine» («aimed at assisting the cause of uniting national elite»); the circulation is unknown.
Yulia Chernikova
Translated by Ekaterina Kokorina
