The Last Heroes of Leningrad : : Coping strategies of Siege survivors in Soviet and post-Soviet society / / Alexandra Wachter and Oliver Rathkolb.

• VerfasserIn: Wachter, Alexandra,; Rathkolb, Oliver,
• TeilnehmendeR: Rathkolb, Oliver,
• Place / Publishing House: Göttingen : : V&R unipress,, 2022.
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (282 pages) :; illustrations

Alexandra Wachter investigates how survivors of the Siege of Leningrad (1941-44) were able to come to terms with their memories in Soviet and post-Soviet society. Subject to political fluctuations, official remembrance ranged from enforced silence to extensive exploitation for propaganda purposes, a framework which corresponded with psychological strategies to cope, but not deal, with trauma: repression, denial, acting-out and idealization. Based on a combination of oral history interviews, ethnographic and archival research, this study examines narratives and activities of child and adolescent survivors. Individual experiences are related to varying degrees of involvement in survivors' organisations, and thick description adds to the understanding of trauma in the context of a (post-)totalitarian society.

Table of Contents

Title Pages -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgement -- Note on the text -- I. Introduction -- II. Trauma -- III. Nostalgia -- IV. Patriotism -- Conclusion -- V. Heroism -- VI. Attempt at an epilogue and outlook -- Bibliography -- List of Illustrations.