A Never-Ending Rupture

Le résumé fourni par la source

This chapter investigates the contested memory of perestroika , arguing that its legacy remains unresolved in Russian society and politics. Unlike the 1990s, which have crystallized into a universally negative narrative of chaos and decline, perestroika elicits ambivalence, with fluctuating assessments across generations and social groups. Many Russians perceive perestroika not as the Soviet Union&s;s conclusion but as the beginning of an open-ended post-Soviet era, a rupture whose consequences continue into the present. This ambiguity has allowed competing narratives—romantic, tragic, comic, and satirical—to circulate, each conferring different meanings and political implications. Drawing on Hayden White&s;s typology of narrative structures, this chapter shows how these rival interpretations reflect broader struggles over Russia&s;s trajectory, from liberal hopes to nationalist fears. It highlights how perestroika serves as a touchstone for ongoing debates about reform, identity, and legitimacy, making it a living and mobilized memory that continues to divide Russian politics.

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