Fading memory and the inexistent past

A hierarchy of heritage significance, shaped by political agendas, marginalizes both 'difficult' and incidentally associated heritage. This study reveals how neo-imperial Russian elites weaponize historical revisionism to deny the significance of mass repression during the Soviet era, particularly within UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Solovetsky Islands. It demonstrates that even privileged heritage, such as grand architectural ensembles built with forced labor, suffers misrecognition due to its incidental ties to undesired narratives. The research employs case studies—including a GULAG camp on the Solovetsky Islands and the Moskva-Volga canal—to analyze how political processes create a flawed hierarchy that undermines accurate historical recognition.

Gaynutidnova, A. (2024). Fading memory and the inexistent past. The Routledge International Handbook of Heritage and Politics, 248–265. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003300984-23