„Wojny pamięci” w literaturze rosyjskiej. Twórczość Siergieja Lebiediewa

Abstract

“MEMORY WARS” IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE: SERGEI LEBEDEV’S WORKS

Sergei Lebedev’s tetralogy – Oblivion (2010), The Year of the Comet (2014), People of August (2015), and The Goose Fritz (2018) – is considered a multigenerational novel. This genre of literature can be seen as a medium for collective memory, offering an avenue for reinterpreting the experiences of past generations as an alternative to official historical narratives (referred to as “first memory”). The primary focus of this article centers on Lebedev’s oeuvre in the context of the ongoing “memory wars” within Russian culture. Lebedev’s works are characterized by an intensified historical consciousness that revolves around the key events of the 20th century. However, the objective is not an inquiry into historical truth sensu stricto, but rather an exploration of post-trauma, which is Russians’ unwanted and rejected heritage. Consequently, the past becomes a catalyst for contemplating the current condition of Russian society. Lebedev’s work encourages deeper reflection on the causes of the “memory wars” and the consequences of divisions between individual and collective memory.