The Power of Memories: Narrating Transition in Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s transition to liberal democracy after 1989 offered the promise of creating a rich collective memory of the communist past that incorporated diverse voices. Yet, while the raw material for constructing a nuanced collective memory existed, the political will did not, as elites, recognizing the salience of Cold War rhetoric, promoted particular narratives of past and present. Once the legitimizing strategy of dissidents, anticommunism now became the legitimizing strategy of political elites, instrumentalized to justify (neo)liberal policies that widened social inequalities and dashed popular hopes. Anticommunist discourse also became a tool of the church, conservatives, and populists, used to disparage LGBTQ individuals, feminists, and liberal policymakers, be they home grown or Brussels-based. The anticommunist trope is thus malleable and promiscuous. It is also an agent of exclusion and division, as those critical of the transition are dismissed as nostalgic and marginalized from the dominant narrative. The chapters in this volume analyze these practices, as well as quotidian contestations of them. Viewing memory work as a form of archive creating and a medium for restoring discursive agency, the authors give voice to groups and individuals typically stigmatized or silenced in hegemonic narratives. The featured counternarratives convey stories of resistance, resilience, and resourcefulness, as well as disillusionment, defeat, and disquiet. As such, they serve as antidotes to dominant narratives of transition, yielding portraits that elicit discomfort and debate, but also inspire soul-searching and healing.