The Roots of the Great Patriotic War Myth

This essay outlines the sources of the myth of the Great Patriotic War that was used by the Soviet propaganda to legitimize the power of the authorities. It aims to discuss briefly the components of the myth, namely, emotions, the sacred element or sacrum, and the Great Russian nationalism. The German-Soviet 1941–1945 war has been described as a Manichaean confrontation between good and evil, sacrum and profanum, civilisation and barbarism. The significance of the myth is manifested to this day. On the one hand, Russian authorities still use it to validate the socio-political order. On the other, the memory of the victorious war is an important element of historical policy pursued by the countries that are part of the ‘Russkiy Mir’.