Triggered by the Euromaidan protests of 2013/14, Ukraine over the past eight years has experienced a cultural revival as a response to Russian aggression. This revival has manifested itself no more...Show moreTriggered by the Euromaidan protests of 2013/14, Ukraine over the past eight years has experienced a cultural revival as a response to Russian aggression. This revival has manifested itself no more so than in music, where numerous Ukrainian artists have used traditional instruments and ethnic motifs in combination with broader, “western” styles of popular music. In this thesis I will argue that the motivation behind this music revival - and by extension the wider cultural revival in general - is a restorative nostalgia for a free, flourishing, democratic, western-oriented, independent Ukraine that is entirely separate from Russia. After noting the stark similarities between music revivalism and restorative nostalgia, I will answer how more deeply held restorative nostalgic sentiments manifest themselves in Ukrainian revivalist music, and investigate why these sentiments manifest themselves in the way that they do. I will argue that contemporary Ukrainian revivalist popular music is instrumentalising the past in present-day culture in order to “create a future”. I term this process “signposting” insofar that signposts create a future for those who follow them, promising where they will eventually end up should they choose that path. Given Russia’s renewed, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, this topic is particularly current, and will demonstrate Ukrainian culture’s tenacity, ingenuity, adaptability and resilience in the face of Russian military and cultural aggression. While the discussions in this thesis predominantly focus on cultural artefacts from between 2014 and 2021, all evidence is pointing to another Ukrainian cultural revival borne out of the events of 2022 that will make the revival of the past decade seem fairly timid by comparison. To this end, I include an afterword looking at Ukrainian music during the latest chapter of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.Show less
Since the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding...Show moreSince the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding principles for contemporary Ukrainian politics. This thesis seeks to understand how a pro-European attitude is reflected in the everyday, private living space of ordinary Ukrainians, which was and often still is heavily influenced by the Soviet past, but is moving toward Europe along with the rest of Ukrainian society. This thesis explores what the ‘European life’ means for Ukrainians living in Kyiv, and aims to understand how the generally pro-European political orientation in Ukraine is reflected in the construction of new housing and the desires Ukrainians have for their living space.Show less
This thesis examines the relationship between pornography and post-Soviet nostalgia in post-2000 Russian cinema, analysing the extent to which the two phenomena are depicted and interact with one...Show moreThis thesis examines the relationship between pornography and post-Soviet nostalgia in post-2000 Russian cinema, analysing the extent to which the two phenomena are depicted and interact with one another. Through formal film analysis of three case studies, this thesis seeks to demonstrate that in addition to the multi-faceted depiction of post-Soviet nostalgia, sex has far from vanished from Russian film screens and often carries symbolic connotations.Show less
During the turbulent years of de-Stalinization a lot changed in the Soviet society. Tensions of the Cold War eased and the publication of contemporary foreign literature was possible again. The...Show moreDuring the turbulent years of de-Stalinization a lot changed in the Soviet society. Tensions of the Cold War eased and the publication of contemporary foreign literature was possible again. The American novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger made quite and impression on the Soviet reader. This thesis discusses the reception of this American youth novel in Soviet Russia through letters and documents found at the Russian Archive of Literature and Art.Show less
This study focusses on the Khrushchev regime's attempt to reform domestic cooking as a part of its struggle for the communist way of life (kommunisticheskii byt) during the Khrushchev era (1956...Show moreThis study focusses on the Khrushchev regime's attempt to reform domestic cooking as a part of its struggle for the communist way of life (kommunisticheskii byt) during the Khrushchev era (1956—1964). Official Soviet publications (policy documents, cookbooks and women's magazines) are the primary sources to this study. The Khrushchev regime did indeed attempt to reform domestic cooking in order to fit it with communist ideals, such as the liberation of women and the organization of the Soviet population's nutrition according to scientific principles. It, however, also responded to the realities of Soviet daily life (e.g. the persistent shortages of foodstuffs).Show less
