The Cossacks of Southern Russia in 21st-Century Memory Politics

Abstract

In modern Russia, the memory of the Cossacks is perpetuated in monuments and museum exhibitions; their culture and history are described in school textbooks, including specialized ones; some regions open special Cossack classes; and hundreds of social media groups discuss the history of the Cossacks. Central and regional authorities as well as Cossack organizations, both official and unofficial, take an active part in the politics of remembering the Cossacks. However, there are practically no specialized studies exploring memory politics regarding the Cossacks. Nevertheless, this topic deserves attention and careful analysis not only because a variety of intensive processes are taking place in this area, but also because this case has a number of specific features and allows one to take a fresh look at some dichotomies widely used in memory studies such as victim and heroic narratives, official and unofficial memory, and local and national memory politics.