Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia

by Jade McGlynn

Why aren't ordinary Russians more outraged by Putin's invasion of Ukraine? Inside the Kremlin's own historical propaganda narratives, Russia's invasion of Ukraine makes complete sense. From its World War II cult to anti-Western conspiracy theories, the Kremlin has long used myth and memory to legitimize repression at home and imperialism abroad, its patriotic history resonating with and persuading large swathes of the Russian population.

In Memory Makers , Russia analyst Jade McGlynn takes us into the depths of Russian historical propaganda, revealing the chilling web of nationwide narratives and practices perforating everyday life, from after-school patriotic history clubs to tower block World War II murals. The use of history to manifest a particular Russian identity has had grotesque, even gruesome, consequences, but it belongs to a global political pattern – where one's view of history is the ultimate marker of political loyalty, patriotism and national belonging. Memory Makers demonstrates how the extreme Russian experience is a stark warning to other nations tempted to stare too long at the reflection of their own imagined and heroic past.

Genres: Russia, History, Politics, Nonfiction, Ukraine

248 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 2023

Reviews

[Yuliya Yurchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книжка детально описує, як росія поступово ще від початку 2000-х вела війну проти минулого (і разом з тим, проти здорового глузду). Джейд МакГлін дуже добре розбирається в тому, що пише, а пише вона пристрасно і захопливо, даремно що це академічна книжка, читається легко і з цікавістю.

[Peter Baran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the Ukraine War started I have been puzzled by one aspect of the Russian propaganda machine. In a number of news reports and documentaries the Russian media and talking heads talk about denazification of Ukraine, and that they are fighting Nazi's again like in the Second World War (or Great Patriotic War as they call it). This seemed bizarre to me, if any of these sides seemed like a totalitarian state it was Russia, and nothing in my understanding of Ukrainian politics painted them as fascist aggressors.

Memory Makers explains this away quickly at the beginning whilst putting the Russian aggression within the context of Putin's history project since 2012. The thesis of the book, well argued and evidenced, is that Putin's Russia did not have a central idea to coalesce behind. After the fall of communism, and the free for all of Yeltsin and the criminal 90's, Putin needed an idea behind which to build consensus in the multi-ethnic, religiously diverse massive state. As he turned it into a one-party state, he needed a big idea to bring people together - and that wasn't going to be a political ideology. Instead the idea of ionizing the strong state within itself became the idea, with a shared agreed sense of history to back this up. This allowed figures like Stalin and Peter The Great to be identified as part of a particularly Russian tradition of strong-man politics, which Putin slots in perfectly with. Questioning the state's view of history became a crime, and much effort was put in to draw analogies between past glorious history (particularly the Great Patriotic War) and modern-day events.

McGlynn is an academic writer, and whilst this isn't that dry a book, it does fall into a few academic traps - such as constantly restating what is being proved in the chapters. She also perhaps over-does her descriptions of her evidence-gathering techniques, however, these are minor quibbles in a fascinating piece of work that gets under the skin of Putin's Russia. She is also not averse to comparing her conclusions to other recent events of mythologising history, such as in the Brexit campaign. And whilst largely written before the Ukraine war started, she has updated and used her argument to explain much of that away - not least because she had already concerned herself with the invasion of the Crimea, And as for the Ukranian Nazis? It all stems back to a Ukranian commander in World War II who swopped sides to fight with the Nazi's to try to achieve an independent Ukraine. And so Putin's history machine takes that memory and conflates it with all aspects of Ukrainian independence.

[Wendelle]

This is a great book that shows how cultural memory, or recollections or impressions of Soviet history, form not only a powerful emotional force in current Russian political discourse, but goes beyond this to form a binding reference for a united national identity. Cultural memory of nostalgia for the Soviet Union, especially the Great War triumph over the Nazis in 1945, has become the structuring element for national identity and shared culture, in the absence of other potential candidates for national unity. The influence of ideology has fallen due to its internal contradictions and outward implosions. Nationhood could not be based on ethnicity due to the multiethnic nature of Russia. Furthermore, Russia has multiple religions so religion cannot be the binding force for the nation either. In comparison, the memory of the Great War triumph is cherished by 89% of Russians. Thus, national memory is depended upon as an easy tool for legitimization of an administration that claims the mantle of this triumphal heritage of the 1945 moral war, and claims to be ushering the defense of its memory.

The rest of the book elucidates how this intertwining of the political regime with the popular memory of this triumphal history is propagated. The rich arsenal of tactics include: youth groups that train Russian kids on history and 'cultural consciousness' using extracurricular activities and initiatives designed by the Ministry of Culture; policing discordant publications and speeches that disagree with official history as an assault on the nation that merits prosecution and legal punishment; military parades of celebrations of the achievements of the past; historical framing that presents news of current events within a biased framing or context that inlays them with meaning within the historical continuation of Soviet events. Thus, history is not dead, rather it has suffered revisions or exaggerations or falsifications for politics' sake. (Read 150 pp only)

[Ned Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a recommendation from Rory Stewart from The Rest is Politics.
It read a little like a dissertation, extremely reference heavy with more empirical evidence than a narrative or a flowing argument.
That being said, some of the evidence is remarkable, and some of the story that is trying to be told is really quite scary. Putin and his propaganda machine knows no bounds in the re-writing of history. I wonder how the average Russian feels about his strategy?

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book*
Memory Makers is a well-researched treatise on how memory and politics combine, specifically in the context of historical memory and Russia. I have studied memory politics in the Latin American context, and it was surprising to read the ways in which the Russian experience is different. McGlynn convincingly argues that most of the historical memory projects that the Russian government initiates have their start in a political desire to return to the authority they had in the USSR period, as well as establishing a victim-narrative that gives them the social ability to justify their global, imperialist ambitions.
While the writing style has all the hallmarks of academia, this book is truly interesting and thought-provoking and well worth a read for anyone who wants a greater understanding of the stakes the Russian government is playing for.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a little dry but if you want to understand how the Kremlin uses history to manipulate the Russian public this is a good book to start with.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this timely book, Jade McGlynn explains how history and cultural memory can be manipulated by authoritarian regimes to sway public opinion and quash dissent. Her research focus is Russia, but as she points out, this strategy is not limited to that particular place. Indeed, as I read I was reminded of what is going on in the US today--and other places as well. Cultural myths are powerful and can be used in very dark ways.

The book is well-researched and written. I learned a lot about how things got to where they are today. She states early on that the book was written before the invasion of Ukraine, "but the activities and rhetoric it describes will show that this was perhaps the only possible outcome of Russia's preoccupation with policing the past." The book provides much needed context to help readers understand why Russia started this war, why there is so much support for it within Russia, how Putin manipulates history and historical memory to stay in power, and how anyone who voices any facts or opinions outside the approved narrative is severely punished. Again, her examples are primarily from Russia, but we see these kinds of things happening across the world, albeit in ways culturally appropriate to each country. The details are different, but the overarching behaviour is the same.

This is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the world in which we live and I highly recommend it.

[GreyAtlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as impressed as I'd hoped. I found that the narratives in this felt repetitive and the language was not accessible to all readers. This was written in a very heavily academic style that made it difficult to read, despite being published for the general reader. I also was not a fan of the in-text citations used instead of footnotes. McGlynn made some good points and there were some good examples, but overall nothing spectacular. This was a beginner piece of what appears to be a larger scale project of research that I would expect to see a cleaner and more succinct sequel in the upcoming years. Graphics would have also benefitted as McGlynn's analysis is often quantitative, yet she keeps it restricted to paragraphs or short lists, when she could easily broaden the scope using charts. Yet, overall this is an essential read for Russian studies and I hope this topic will gain more traction.

Here is some tidbits of what I learned
p28 three core arguments within russian media framing narratives: legitimacy and importance of victory over nazism, chaos caused by lack of a strong state in the 1990s, resurgence of russia as a great power.
p32 gulag musem in perm was labelled as a foreign agent in 2015.
p46 strong russian state is the overring idea of the putin era.
p47 government and putins obsession with creating a sense of unbroken continuity between past and present
p48 russian state textbooks now claim that industrialization was a mitigating factor in stalins repressions and the holodomar in ukraine
p50 military patriotic education top priority in russia
p54 russias aim is to create impression that people are falsifying history, which maligns russia.
p62 kremlin obsession with cultural sovereignty
p64 historical framing, media framing of a contemporary event within a historical precendent
p72 even in normal times, putin hosts weekly planning meetings for media bosses where it distributes key lines
p75 stephan bandera - nationalists that fought with and against nazis and committed crimes against minorities, honored in ukraine as a man who fought for ukrainian independence.
p76 bandera has been used in russia as a byword for traitor, ukrainian nationalist
p92 russian media portrays bombing of Yugoslavia as the usa's first formentation of a color revolution.
p93 IMF controlled by US treasury
p95 ideas of loss and breakdowns
p97 russian media infantilized gorbachev as a fool, for his mistakes during perestroika
p99 soviet tropes that pro western sympathies were rooted in greed and consumerism.
p103 russian victory in ww2 gave russia a moral right to geopolitical influence.
p103 putin presented yalta conference reference as ideal for maintaining peace and stability.
p110 soviet slogan "if you enjoy jazz, youll sell your country out"
p111 russian media likes to use syria as a example of soft power reach
p120 ethnic russians afforded privledged position
p121 public is distracted from real politics by the politics of symbolism
p123 russophobia relies on emotion rather than appealing to logic
p126 intense securitization equates historigraphical debate with the basest of treachery, leaving no scope for moderation or compromise.
p134 after russias intervention in syria, russia created an image of assertiveness rather than defensiveness.
p156 the great patriotic war was the heart of the development of the soviet system and a way to define their lives, beliefs, and the world.
p158 storytelling that is scarce of artefacts - russia my history museums
p159 more interested in entertainment than history
p177 putins 2021 valdai speech complained of wokeness and cancel culture in the west.
p179 church leaders in russia argue that russianness is a concept without borders, open to everyone, every nationality
p201 kremlin worldview is russia needs a strong state, russia must follow own path, russia is a messianic great power
p203 unprocessed memories.

[Ted Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very scholarly book (it almost feels like an expanded version of the author's PhD dissertation) that examines, very convincingly, the ways in which Vladimir Putin has used his power as the president of Russia to pursue his ambition by attempting to equate every foreign policy challenge that his nation has faced in the last decade or so to parts of Russia's (or, more accurately, the USSR's) glorious past, most notably their triumph in "The Great Patriotic War" (i.e., World War II). Everyone who paid attention to the rhetoric surrounding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine saw this when Putin consistently labeled them "Nazis," but the book also analyzes the promotion of "history" during the 2014 invasion of Crimea and the Donbas, their reaction to the sanctions imposed on Russia after the 2014 downing of a Malaysian passenger airliner, and their intervention in the Syrian civil war. The book digs very deeply into the language used in Russian newspapers, as well as things like the activities of Russian historical societies. While the book is short (under 200 pages) I found it quite dense and one has to be prepared to parse some rather weighty language. Here's an example: "This interdiscursivity with populist illiberal (economic or social) discourses across the political spectrum and across the globe helps to entrench and normalize the often-conspiratorial messages contained within the narratives." I found the book's analysis to be a little "elevated" (for instance, discussions of how the "class consciousness" of the USSR was being transformed into the "cultural consciousness" of modern Russia), as it did not really show how any of these efforts were truly impacting the thoughts and actions of Russians "on the ground," something the author admitted in the end. My favorite part of the book was the final chapter when it examined how this process of using history to advance political objectives is being used in other nations. (The example of the U.S. fight over Confederate statues is brought up.) I finished the book with a conviction that the current round (as of 3/25) of negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine with bear no permanent fruit, as they do not fit into the world view that Putin and his associates are using to stay in power.

[Timothy Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource in understanding the importance of modern Russia's use of memory and history to weave a narrative to the Russian public that is hard to escape.

I think this book is very important to read, especially if you want to further understand the utilisation of popular culture is able to alter the perception of the public.

However, what makes this book so great is that Mcglynn is able to highlight through each term of Putin's position as President of Russia has allowed him to effectively control and reconstruct historical truths and narrative to serve his ideals and objectives.

One of the most interesting parts of this book was McGlynn's idea of Russian 'cultural consciousness' - where it denotes a "heightened awareness of Russia's heritage, history and cultural uniqueness. Where history functions as the nation's unifying and mobilising force. Where the Russian government uses historical narratives and references to call the Russian people to practice and embody the 'cultural consciousness' that will defend them from Western forces (McGlynn, 2023).

[Michael Paone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read this book in the course of four or five days for a graduate level course, this is an in-depth look at various aspects of the role and use of history in Putin's Russia. From the media to astroturfed grassroots organizations as well as the takeover of legitimate ones to serve state approved ends, history is used and abused for a number of reasons, but all in service of the state. Strikes me as a little funny that the author takes a sociological approach to the question of history in modern day Russia, but this is an interesting, concise and readable entry into the politics of memory in Russia. I will say as a history student at the graduate level, I found this book a little disturbing! The power that a leader can gain through distorting history has never been laid so clear before me. While the job market for a Historian will inevitably only get worse, and least they (we?) can do their jobs without fear of reprisal.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and perceptive exploration of how the Kremlin manipulates historical events to create a national narrative and enforce a spirit of patriotism. Putin has perfected this approach so that any opposition from within or from outside the country is seen as an unacceptable threat and, more than that, an injustice. The results can be seen today all too disturbingly. I enjoyed the book, albeit in small doses, and it greatly increased my knowledge of how the Putin propaganda machine works. Well researched, accessibly, if somewhat scholarly, written, and thought provoking, this is a must read for anyone interested in what makes Russia tick.

[Regina Hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening

I read this book after hearing an excellent discussion with Dr McGlynn on a DW news program. The book is written scholarly language, which is not in ordinary use. Therefore I had to stop and translate many times. It answered many questions about what exactly is on the minds of Russian leadership—particularly with regard to Ukraine and Syria. It appears that the West is not just on a different page, but in a different book.

[William Sykes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The use of historical framing explains how the Russia government has controlled the narrative on what’s happened in Crimea and now Ukraine, utilising parallels with the Second World War and the positives of imperialist Soviet Russian power.

I didn’t expect the book to read like a university paper, so was slightly put out by that.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd looked forward to reading this book after hearing the author speak on a couple of podcasts, but despite it containing some very interesting points, I really had to work for them. I'm not often put off by dry, academic works, but for some reason I had to read a lot of this several times to try and get my head round the message.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone seeking to understand the Kremlin's grip on power and seemingly high approval ratings, especially in light of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, must read this book.

By the time you've finished, you may also recognize similar efforts by authoritarian parties and groups much closer to home.

[Lexi]

dnf (for now). interesting but too dry and academic to read casually. will return when i’m back to studying someday.