Authors

Discussion

In this essay, I'll provide a more thorough overview of current uses of the term “post-Soviet,” which is used to refer to a troubling relationship between modern Russian society and its Soviet heritage and is used as an umbrella term to designate a wide range of meanings, in addition to offering a commentary on pre-war geopolitical and media trends in Russia and denoting anxiety about how society will grow in the future. One of the primary questions driving this research is: What do we talk about when we talk about the post-Soviet? What are the underlying assumptions of modern academic applications of the post-Soviet? Is it accurate to interpret this concept as a symptom of an epistemological rupture that “traumatogenic changes” (Sztompka) from the previous century have left ingrained in the fabric of post-Soviet Russia? Can this phrase, which is undoubtedly proliferating regarding a troubled past, introduce new ways of thinking about the prewar condition of Russia? Finally, after February 24, 2022, how has our perception of any “post-s“ in regard to Russian culture and society changed?