Natalie McCauley

nmccaule@richmond.edu
Articles by Natalie McCauley

Expanding the Gulag Archipelago (No, not that way)

These women’s Gulag stories, as I unceremoniously call them for the time being, contribute in significant ways to Russia’s current mediascape. First, the change in setting is important. Moving the subject’s perspective from victims of fascism to victims of Stalinism introduces nuance into representations of mourning WWII-era victims. If the resurgence of Victory Day celebrations in Russia over the past decade speak to a desire to re-create feelings of national pride, the introduction of Gulag victims as equally worthy of grieving expands the narrative, now including survivors and families of camp victims in this communal mourning.

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