SIGNS OF THE TIME: MEMORY ABOUT MASS POLITICS OF THE 1990s IN THE EXPOSITIONS OF RUSSIAN MUSEUMS

Abstract

The article explores framing of collective memory about the 1990s in two Russian museums of political history. It provides a comparative analysis of the expositions of the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (SCMCHR) in Moscow and the Museum of Boris Yeltsin (MBY) in Yeltsin Center in Ekaterinburg, with a focus on material objects representing the mass politics. The comparative analysis of material objects presented in the two museums is supplemented by the observations derived from memoirs of “the ordinary” people. It helps to reconstruct the stories that might be triggered by the objects at display, and to reveal some lacunas and inconsistencies in the expositions. The expositions of SCMCHR and MBY are evidently different, which is determined by their missions and narratives. SCMCHR presents a broader spectrum of political and social perspectives and pays more attention to the negative aspects of the 1990s. The exposition of MBY is focused on the figure of Russia’s first president, who is presented as the leader who brought people freedom. This allows the authors of the exhibition to provide less space for the voices of “ordinary people” and emphasizes positive aspects of the 1990s. In spite of the differences, both expositions provide multidimensional stories that go beyond the stereotypes exploited in political discourses. They illustrate not only the economic difficulties and political turbulences of the 1990s, but also the mass support for the expected changes and new opportunities for social activities. This is particularly true for the case of mass politics, as both expositions provide evidence of political freedoms incomparable to that in Putin’s Russia.