History of the Soviet Union since 1917

November 6, 2002

The Myth of the War

Discussion Questions

1. Why has the memory of the Great Patriotic War become a sacred memory in Russia?

2. What do we mean by "myth"? How do the stories and portrayals of individuals help build the myth?

3. How does the portrayal of heroes and villains help build this myth? Who are the heroes? What makes them heroic?

4. How does the experience of the Great Patriotic War differ from the civil war? Think about the accounts you read of the civil war -- Dune and others. Compare with the story of Tanya.

5. Why did the Soviet Union hold together in the second world war when the Russian Empire fell apart in the midst of the first world war?

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