Soviet civilization. The Phenomenon of the USSR in reflection of the contemporary Russian Sociology

The aim of the thesis is to introduce a specific discussion of contemporary Russian historical and social science on the phenomenon of the USSR and its role within Russian history. In particular, concepts of three contemporary Russian authors are analysed that deal with topics such as specific periods of Soviet history, context of USSR establishment and its breakdown, internal dynamics and transformation, leading principles of the society life or the Union's relations towards both West and the Third World. The questions of continuity of Russian history and relation between Russian tradition and modernity constitute horizontal issues that diffuse discussion on most of the particular topics. The presented concepts illustrate considerable complexity of the postsoviet Russian disccussion; at the same time they reffer to certain leading lines which allow to overarch the variety of ideas by general concept of "Russian point of view". One of the lines consists in confronting the USSR/Russia with the West, quality that traditionally marks any Russian discussion on the country's identity. The author of the current document intends to demonstrate that the idealized reflection of the Russia/USSR that we can witness in works of most Russian historicians might particularly arise from their incorrect 5 perception of the..