Open AccessPamięć historyczna w powieści Suhbata Aflatuniego "Raj na ziemi"
Author(s) -
Elżbieta Tyszkowska-Kasprzak
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta neophilologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2450-0852
pISSN - 1509-1619
DOI - 10.31648/an.6232
Subject(s) - paradise , honor , state (computer science) , plot (graphics) , russian history , history , soviet union , political science , law , public opinion , sociology , economic history , art history , politics , computer science , statistics , mathematics , algorithm , operating system
This article presents the problem of historical memory in Paradise on Earth, a novel by Suhbat Aflatuni. Its plot revolves around the NKVD executing a group of Poles during the Great Purge (1937-1938) and contemporary attempts to commemorate the victims. The anti-Polish actions carried out by the NKVD exemplify the murders of citizens committed by the Soviet Union, while the protagonists’ efforts to honor the victims illustrate the views and actions of those Russians who believe infamous moments in their history should be revealed. The author shows how divided the Russian society is over these historic events and exposes the huge role that state institutions play in shaping public opinion on the issue.