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Discussion

From Construction Brigade to Cooperative: Ruptures and Continuities in Heritage Volunteering

This paper explores the evolution of semi-volunteer heritage preservation from the 1960s to the 1990s. It investigates the characteristics of late Soviet heritage volunteering practices, initially framed as construction brigades, and their transformation amid the disruptions accompanying the collapse of the Soviet Union.

My case study focuses on a student construction brigade from Moscow State University that restored the Solovetsky Monastery from 1967 until recent years. The paper examines how this brigade evolved institutionally and culturally over time, demonstrating resilience, adaptability and continuity across different eras.

In 1967, a group of physics students arrived on the Solovki Islands to restore the Solovetsky Monastery. This brigade was likely the first construction brigade (stroyotryad) dedicated to restoration. Unlike typical construction brigades, the Solovki brigade returned annually, developing into a self-sustaining community characterized by unique rituals, folklore, and humor. This collective memory is captured through memoirs, photographs, films, songs, and interviews, which form the basis of this study. The brigade’s cultural realm aligns with Yurchak’s concept of vnenakhodimost’ (being outside), which he used to describe the late Soviet period. However, the Solovki brigade continued well beyond the collapse of the Soviet Union, challenging conventional narratives about ruptures and continuities in late Soviet Russia.

First, the paper examines how the brigade resisted institutional decay, including the decline of the Komsomol and the construction brigade system, alongside broader economic shifts and shortages. For the students, the Solovki Islands served as a refuge of stability amid societal disruptions. Outwardly, they maintained the structure of a construction brigade, but in practice, they transitioned to operating under a newly established cooperative, shifting from state-distributed resources to self-organized restoration projects.

Second, the paper investigates the cultural transformation of the brigade against the backdrop of Solovki’s layered history, including its past as a monastery and a special camp. Solovki evolved from a semi-abandoned site with barbed wire to a tourist Mecca, followed by the desecularization of the island and the beginning of the museification of Gulag memory. Reflections on Solovki’s complex past developed within the brigade’s folklore and rituals, ranging from subtle hints to sharp irony. The brigade’s traditions adapted to the challenges of the times while remaining faithful to some of the initial ideas and ideals.