Transformational  Trauma  and  Coping  Mechanisms  in  Contemporary  Rus-sian Literature Cover Image

Trauma transformacyjna i sposoby radzenia sobie z nią we współczesnej literaturze rosyjskiej
Transformational Trauma and Coping Mechanisms in Contemporary Rus-sian Literature

Author(s): Patryk Witczak
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: KSIĘGARNIA AKADEMICKA Sp. z o.o.
Keywords: homo sovieticus; contemporary russian literature; cultural trauma; political transformation; dissolution of the USSR

Summary/Abstract: The dissolution of the USSR is widely remembered across many nations as a moment of regaining independence and the initiation of normalization in relations between the East and the West. Conversely, in Russian society, this event is viewed ambivalently and is associated negatively by many citizens. This article undertakes an analysis of the methods employed in coping with the cultural trauma induced by the dissolution of the USSR and the subsequent political transformation. Innovative strategies (such as the accumulation of economic and social capital) and escapist strategies (such as passivity, apathy, and denial) proposed in sociology are delineated. However, irrespective of the degree to which individuals succeed in surmounting the trauma, the political transformation does not exert a strong influence on everyone. The primary challenge, nonetheless, lies not merely in adapting to new circumstances but in overcoming internal constraints and dismantling the mentality of homo sovieticus. The analytical framework draws on the works of Viktor Pelevin, Vyacheslav Petsukh, Roman Senchin, and Elena Chizhova as illustrative material.

  • Issue Year: XXII/2025
  • Issue No: 99
  • Page Range: 373-389
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Polish
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