Fear in Border Narratives: Perspectives of the Finnish-Russian Border

Abstract

This study discusses the socially and culturally constructed Finnish- Russian border which has been developed as a lifelong process, in the context of modern elderly Finns. It focuses on the emotions of fear represented in life and historically contextualised narratives discussing the post-war period in eastern borderlands. The included texts concentrate on border issues and are mainly based on the writer's personal experiences. The analysis is based on oral history methodology and highlights mainly the represented personal interpretations of the past, rather than actual historical events. The concept of fear is used as a theoretical tool to interpret the expressions of emotions in narrated memories. The study seeks to illustrate the causes of fear on the Finnish-Russian border in peacetime contemporary Finland.