The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian Narration
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Johanna Lindbladh (ed) The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian Narration Can we create a true memory of the past? How shall this truth, in that case, be presented? (ed) Lindbladh Johanna Against the background of a totalitarian epoch and its falsified history writing, the notions of memory, history and truth have received quite specific meanings. Johanna Lindbladh (ed) This book sheds light on several totalitarian and post-totalitarian regions, such as Russia, Poland, Latvia, Serbia, Romania, China and South Africa. Taking the various genres and The Poetics of Memory in media of film, literature, art, autobiographies, testimonies, history textbooks, newspapers and websites as their point of departure, an international group of researchers examine Post-Totalitarian Narration the collective and individual memory in these regions, investigating its relation to poetics, identity, myth, history writing and, not least... its relation to the Truth. The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian Narration in Post-Totalitarian of Memory The Poetics ISSN 1654-2185 Print: Media-Tryck Lund, 2008 EUROPE R AN O F S T E U R D CFE Conference Papers Series No. 3 Lund 2008 T I E N S E C Johanna Lindbladh (ed) Johanna Lindbladh (ed) The Poetics of Memory in The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian Narration Post-Totalitarian Narration LUND UNIVERSITY LUND UNIVERSITY CFE Conference Papers Series No. 3 CFE Conference Papers Series No. 3 Lund 2008 Lund 2008 1 1 The CFE Conference paper series is published by The CFE Conference paper series is published by The Centre for European Studies (CFE) at Lund University The Centre for European Studies (CFE) at Lund University The publication is financed by The Centre for European Studies (CFE) The publication is financed by The Centre for European Studies (CFE) ©2008 The Centre for European Studies at Lund University and the authors. ©2008 The Centre for European Studies at Lund University and the authors. Editor: Johanna Lindbladh Editor: Johanna Lindbladh Cover photograph: ©2008 Monika Lozinska-Lee. The photograph is part of the Cover photograph: ©2008 Monika Lozinska-Lee. The photograph is part of the series Images of Memory #4, 1999 series Images of Memory #4, 1999 Print: Media-Tryck, sociologen, 2008 Print: Media-Tryck, sociologen, 2008 Typesetting: Jonas Palm Typesetting: Jonas Palm ISSN: 1654-2185 ISSN: 1654-2185 This paper is also available in pdf-format at CFEs website: www.sfe.lu.se This paper is also available in pdf-format at CFEs website: www.sfe.lu.se CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES AT LUND UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES AT LUND UNIVERSITY Box 201 Phone +46 (0)46-222 88 19 Box 201 Phone +46 (0)46-222 88 19 SE-221 00 LUND Fax: +46 (0)46-222 32 11 SE-221 00 LUND Fax: +46 (0)46-222 32 11 SWEDEN E-mail: [email protected] SWEDEN E-mail: [email protected] 2 2 Table of contents Table of contents PART I: Memory, Narration and Identity 15 PART I: Memory, Narration and Identity 15 ‘Wounded Narratives’: Jewish Childhood Recollections in ‘Wounded Narratives’: Jewish Childhood Recollections in Post-Soviet Autobiographical Discourse Post-Soviet Autobiographical Discourse Marina Balina 15 Marina Balina 15 Hindsight and Sideshadowing in Recent British and Irish Hindsight and Sideshadowing in Recent British and Irish Autobiography Autobiography Nicola King 27 Nicola King 27 The Problem of Narration and Reconciliation in Svetlana The Problem of Narration and Reconciliation in Svetlana Aleksievich’s Testimony Voices from Chernobyl’ Aleksievich’s Testimony Voices from Chernobyl’ Johanna Lindbladh 41 Johanna Lindbladh 41 PART II: Individual Memory in Relation to Economic and PART II: Individual Memory in Relation to Economic and Political Interests 55 Political Interests 55 Voices Found and Lost. Illness as Metaphor in Post Soviet Voices Found and Lost. Illness as Metaphor in Post Soviet Latvia Latvia Vieda Skultans 55 Vieda Skultans 55 Remembering Soviet Everyday Life – the Burdens, Remembering Soviet Everyday Life – the Burdens, Happiness and Advantages of Maternity in Soviet Russia Happiness and Advantages of Maternity in Soviet Russia in the Late 1940–1960s in the Late 1940–1960s Yulia Gradskova 69 Yulia Gradskova 69 The Poetics of Memory as the Politics of Reading: Fourteen The Poetics of Memory as the Politics of Reading: Fourteen Episodes of Remembering Episodes of Remembering Irina Sandomirskaia 81 Irina Sandomirskaia 81 How to Remember a Dead Soldier How to Remember a Dead Soldier Per-Arne Bodin 95 Per-Arne Bodin 95 3 3 PART III: Memory and Myth in the Arts 111 PART III: Memory and Myth in the Arts 111 Mistrusting the Past. Andrei Nekrasov’s Documentary Mistrusting the Past. Andrei Nekrasov’s Documentary Composition Disbelief (Nedoverie) Composition Disbelief (Nedoverie) Fiona Björling 111 Fiona Björling 111 The Myth of St Petersburg in the Contemporary Russian The Myth of St Petersburg in the Contemporary Russian Cinema. Balabanov’s Brother Cinema. Balabanov’s Brother Natalia Bratova 121 Natalia Bratova 121 In Search of the Grand: Pavel Krusanov In Search of the Grand: Pavel Krusanov Audun J. Mørch 127 Audun J. Mørch 127 PART IV: Memory and Representation from Modernity to PART IV: Memory and Representation from Modernity to Post-Modernity, from Totalitarianism to Post-Totalitarianism 139 Post-Modernity, from Totalitarianism to Post-Totalitarianism 139 History Textbooks in the Balkans: Representations and History Textbooks in the Balkans: Representations and Conflict Conflict Anamaria Dutceac Segesten 139 Anamaria Dutceac Segesten 139 A Chinese Virtual ‘Heimatmuseum’ – Old Beijing.net A Chinese Virtual ‘Heimatmuseum’ – Old Beijing.net Michael Schoenhals 155 Michael Schoenhals 155 Memories of a Modernity-to-be. Some Reflections on Memories of a Modernity-to-be. Some Reflections on South Africa’s Unresolved Dilemma South Africa’s Unresolved Dilemma Oscar Hemer 173 Oscar Hemer 173 Memory as Documentary Fiction. Documentation in Memory as Documentary Fiction. Documentation in Contemporary Russian Art Contemporary Russian Art Charlotte Greve 185 Charlotte Greve 185 List of Contributors 199 List of Contributors 199 4 4 The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian The Poetics of Memory in Post-Totalitarian Narration: Introduction Narration: Introduction Johanna Lindbladh Johanna Lindbladh Why use the concept the poetics of memory? Are we using it in order to underline Why use the concept the poetics of memory? Are we using it in order to underline our tendency to exaggerate the bright and happy memories of the past, while the our tendency to exaggerate the bright and happy memories of the past, while the grey, everyday moments in our lives tend to sink into oblivion, and traumatic grey, everyday moments in our lives tend to sink into oblivion, and traumatic events are repressed in our subconscious? Rather than referring to our nostalgic events are repressed in our subconscious? Rather than referring to our nostalgic wish to poetisize the past, the use of poetics in relation to memory in this volume wish to poetisize the past, the use of poetics in relation to memory in this volume will be connected to the fact that individual and collective memory is enigmatic, will be connected to the fact that individual and collective memory is enigmatic, fragmentated, intimately connected to our senses and feelings, and thereby in need fragmentated, intimately connected to our senses and feelings, and thereby in need of an alternative epistemology, challenging traditional definitions of knowledge and of an alternative epistemology, challenging traditional definitions of knowledge and truth.1 The philosopher Mary Warnock claims that memory is ‘essentially emotional truth.1 The philosopher Mary Warnock claims that memory is ‘essentially emotional in character’: ‘Since it can be called knowledge, its object is what is true. But the in character’: ‘Since it can be called knowledge, its object is what is true. But the truths are of the heart not of the head’ (Warnock 1987, 90). Maria Holmgren Troy truths are of the heart not of the head’ (Warnock 1987, 90). Maria Holmgren Troy also refers to the emotional character of memory, referring to a specific ‘mode of also refers to the emotional character of memory, referring to a specific ‘mode of knowledge’ that is ‘non-cognitive, non-linear, and affective’ (Holmgren Troy 2007, knowledge’ that is ‘non-cognitive, non-linear, and affective’ (Holmgren Troy 2007, 50). One important aspect of this non-cognitive and affective character of memory 50). One important aspect of this non-cognitive and affective character of memory is that it cannot be mediated objectively, like the mathematical truth 2+2=4, but has is that it cannot be mediated objectively, like the mathematical truth 2+2=4, but has to be a part of the current context of remembering, the choice of words, metaphors, to be a part of the current context of remembering, the choice of words, metaphors, mode of narration and so on. In his last substantial work Memory, History, Forgetting, mode of narration and so on. In his last substantial work Memory, History, Forgetting, Paul Ricoeur describes memory in terms of a mental trip and claims, referring to Paul Ricoeur describes memory in terms of a mental trip and claims, referring to Husserl, that memory cannot be represented directly, in a pure, unmediated way, Husserl, that memory cannot be represented directly, in a pure, unmediated way, but always has to be the result of a process of remembering, in which distraction, but always has to be the result of a process of remembering, in which distraction, associative and wishful thinking, cannot be separated from the actual memory of associative and wishful thinking, cannot be separated from the actual memory of the past. P. J. Eakin, a prominent researcher within the field of narrative identity, the past. P. J. Eakin, a prominent researcher within the field of narrative identity, takes a similar standpoint, claiming that the truth represented by memory and takes a similar standpoint, claiming that the truth represented by memory and autobiographical texts is the result of an intimate combination of fiction and fact.