«Back to the Future»: Images of Modernization Reforms in the Collective Memory of Russian People

Abstract

The article deals extensively replicated images of major structural reforms in the history of Russia (The government reforms of Peter I, the Great Reforms of Alexander II, the October Revolution, industrialization, Perestroika and market reforms of the 1990s), their contemporary respondents’ assessments and position in the overall structure of the collective memory of Russians. The results of historical and sociological analysis through the methodological tradition of «memory studies» showed that the current structure of the collective memory has a significant ideological opposition to the structuring reforms, legitimizing resource development model.

Keywords

• modernization
• reforms
• peter the great
• alexander ii
• the october revolution
• stalin
• perestroika
• collective memory
• politics of memory
• historical policy