Never Again in Russia

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the central role that the reference to World War II has played in the Soviet Union and later Russia in the decades after 1945. It examines how the "never again" narrative in Russia has evolved, focusing on the Victory in the "Great Patriotic War" against fascism rather than on lessons for domestic or international reform. The article traces how the Soviet Union's positioning as a victorious peace power was undermined by its political practice, and how the official war and Victory narrative solidified over time, becoming a central point of Russian history and national ideology. It also discusses the recent resurgence and instrumentalization of the Victory narrative to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Role of World War II in the Soviet Union and Russia

1. What is the central focus of the "never again" narrative in Russia?

• The "never again" narrative in Russia has never been focused on drawing lessons for domestic constitutional reform or the reform of international law.
• The focus is on the Victory in the "Great Patriotic War" against fascism, the increase of power and status in the international system that this has brought, and the perpetuation of the present and timeless actuality of war in a mostly imperial and post-imperial context.

2. How was the Soviet Union's positioning as a victorious peace power undermined?

• The Soviet Union's political practice of casting frequent vetoes in the UN Security Council effectively prevented the system of peacekeeping and peace enforcement from functioning.
• The Soviet Union also systematically opposed the admission of new UN members and prevented debates about current aggressions or the regulation and reduction of armaments and armed forces.

3. How did the official war and Victory narrative solidify over time in the Soviet Union and Russia?

• The canonical Soviet narrative of war and Victory was formulated and cemented through state rituals of remembrance and glorification, educational policy, art, and the media.
• The official state war narrative was partly humanized through the testimony of veterans and intergenerational dialogue, but the tragedy and horror of the war and the value of peace were not doubted in this discourse.

[02] The Resurgence and Instrumentalization of the Victory Narrative

1. How did the Victory narrative experience a revival in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union?

• The findings of the 1990s, which recognized that the Victory was not achieved thanks to the Soviet rulers and their party but in spite of them, were quickly suppressed.
• Instead, the old Soviet Victory narrative was anchored and expanded on an unprecedented scale, becoming the central point of Russian history and a cornerstone of national and extreme nationalist ideology.

2. How has the Victory narrative been used to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine?

• The "right to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine" is directly derived from the fact that Russia was affected by World War II.
• The "We can do it again" sentiment, referring to the 1945 Victory, has been used to justify the current war of aggression against Ukraine.

3. What has been the impact of the instrumentalization of the Victory narrative on Russian public opinion?

• According to the Levada Centre, in May 2022, shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, 36% of respondents felt pride for their nation (up from 17% the year before), and 13% felt resentment for their nation (down from 23% the year before).
• This suggests the Victory narrative has been successfully used to bolster nationalist sentiment and support for the war.