Russia’s State Mobilization of the Holocaust Onscreen – Konstantin Khabensky’s Film 'Sobibor' (2018)

Abstract

Konstantin Khabensky’s 2018 film, 'Sobibor', is one of the first Holocaust films of the Russian Federation; for a long time, the Holocaust had been subsumed within the narrative of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ and the specificity of Jewish suffering had not been emphasized. This article will argue that in 'Sobibor', the character of Alexander Pechersky represents the brave, heroic, victorious Soviet Union, and through association the current Russian Federation, which saved Europe from the so-called yoke of fascism once before and will continue to do so as a Eurasian superpower. On the other hand, the Polish Jews are shown to be weak, subservient prisoners, a recent development in hostile Russo-Polish relations of the last decade.