Why so serious? Tragedy and whimsy in late Soviet and post-Soviet Russian monuments

Abstract

ABSTRACT Serious monuments to the tragic past and whimsical representations of the everyday reflect the structural realities of a new Russian memorial culture. Structural pluralism provides space for expressions of cultural conservatism and Soviet nostalgia, but it also encourages monument builders to address broad audiences and avoid political polarization. Moreover, it allows local authorities to experiment with new forms of representation in efforts to appeal to local constituencies. The commemoration of tragedy has entered Russian public space, shaped by the contours of its pluralist public, new need for public relations, and fractious political culture. Humour was also not a great hallmark of Soviet monumental art, but public space in post-Soviet Russia has plenty of room for the humorous, the fantastic, and the whimsical. The presence of the whimsical and the tragic in sculptural form is enabled by pluralist institutions, civic boosterism, and critical public discourse in a context much different from monument building in the Soviet era.