“The Lost Generation”: Memory of the Soviet Past through the Lens of the Present

On behalf of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS, we invite you to a seminar where Nina Natroshvili, Erasmus+ Fellow at IESA SAS, will present her talk: “The Lost Generation”: Memory of the Soviet Past through the Lens of the Present.

The seminar will take place on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 1:00 PM in the conference room of IESA SAS, at Klemensova 19, Bratislava.

Annotation

My research examines how those who came of age during late socialism in the Soviet Union reimagine this past from today’s perspective. Based on fieldwork in Georgia (summer 2023), including group and individual interviews, I found that nostalgia for certain aspects of Soviet life, such as social security, cultural access, and education, stems largely from their absence in today’s reality. However, these positive recollections are outweighed by the significance of national independence and religious freedom, which were seen restricted under the Soviet regime. While socialism is now easier to critique, it is also reconsidered by them in contrast to the challenges of the present. This dynamic evaluation reflects both personal memories and shifting societal values, revealing a complex relationship between past and present.

It will also be possible to join the event online via the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85988863483?pwd=cnDhjtdyDaVczpeb7MEuBsaGFRZ05C.1