A National Narrative in the Post-Truth Age: How the Kremlin Struggles Against the “Falsifiers of History”

Abstract

The article examines the approaches of the Putin regime to what its ideologists con- ceptualize as historical propaganda. It shows that the notion of historical truth, which is often invoked to justify the official position of the Russian government, is interpreted by the Kremlin in a “postmodernist” sense: there can be no “objective truth”, the truth is what corresponds to Russia’s interests. The article further discusses Russian legisla- tion of the past and the role of the most important governmental institutions involved in designing and implementing Putin’s memory politics. These institutions include, in particular, the Presidential Administration and the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, and culture.