In Conversation with Allyson Edwards - The Use of the Soviet Past in the Present

Frances Shalom SPEAKS TO Allyson Edwards about the Use of The Soviet Past in the Present and her research into the latent militarisation during the Yeltsin Period

Allyson Edwards

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Soviet history has played a significant role in informing Russian national identity and uniting the nation. On Thursday, 8 October 2020 we will be hosting an event with Issy Sawkins, Allyson Edwards, and Lucy Birge on The Use of the Soviet Past in the Present. This discussion will engage with the instrumentalization of this memory during the Yeltsin and Putin era. The presenters will briefly introduce themselves and their topics, drawing on their expertise in memory of the Second World War during the 1990s, and memory of the 1917 Russian revolution and Holocaust memory in contemporary Russia. They will discuss the chosen narratives and their implications, which are closely linked with the recent constitutional amendments. There will then be a more general discussion with the audience about these developments, with the opportunity for a Q&A session. The discussion will be chaired by Dr Kristin Roth-Ey of UCL.

Ahead of this event, Young Pushkin Frances Shalom sat down with Allyson Edwards to hear more about her research, her interest in Russia, and her favourite memories from her travels across the country. Allyson is a final year PhD candidate a Swansea University. Her research, which is fully funded by the ESRC, seeks to examine the everyday mechanisms behind latent militarisation during the Yeltsin period. She is currently a Teaching Fellow in History at Warwick University and is the Vice-Chair of the Eurasian, East and Central European Studies Woman Academics Forum (EECES WAF).

Frances Shalom (Pushkin House): Hi there Allyson, it’s great to chat to you. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little more about your work?

Allyson: I’m a final year PhD candidate at Swansea University. Having recently submitted my thesis, I am awaiting my VIVA. I’m native to Swansea, but now live in Birmingham because I am a Teaching Fellow in History at Warwick University on their Foundation Programme. It’s a really interesting role with a lot of room for me to create exciting and engaging lesson plans. 2020 was certainly a challenging year, especially in my first year as a module convenor. As for my research, my thesis sits at an intersection between History and International Relations. The thesis aims to understand militarisation in Yeltsin’s Russia – a period that is really under-researched. Having focused on commemoration in the case study chapter of my thesis, I became really interested in the use of history by state figures and institutions to formulate public identity, and in its use in ‘guilting’ society into performing activities which I will be discussing more at the event.  

Frances: That sounds fascinating. As you mentioned, the Yeltsin era is a very under-researched area so it will be great to hear more about this during the event. How is it that you first became interested in Russia and in your area of research?

Allyson: Since the 1990s, my grandfather has sent clothes and care packages to people in Siberia. For some of these people that he helps, these resources really do go a long way. In return, he gets letters from the people, who would be so grateful for his help. Wanting to read these letters himself, he sits at the table everyday eating breakfast while working his way through a Russian language book. I can’t imagine how many times he’s made his way through that book, but as he says “my memory is not what it used to be.” Anyway, since he was so connected to the area, I started to learn about the people he helped, which then inspired me to look more closely at the region. There are certainly aspects of Russia’s use of memory that are transports, for example, the grand martial-ceremonial traditions are those that Peter I adopted from Prussia. I would also say that many other countries use the past to consolidate and shape future goals of the state. The unique-ness of Russia’s history is that it really does shape and motivate militarisation, because it is used as an example to show that Russia has been vulnerable which then influences the underlying self-perception in Russia that events like the Great Patriotic War will occur again under different circumstances and with a new cohort of people.

Frances: What a fantastic family story. Have you travelled in Russia before yourself? Is there anything that surprised you having seen your grandfather’s experience?

Allyson: I spent 7 months in Russia between 2017 and 2019. 6 weeks of that time was in a language camp in Novosibirsk, where I joined the students in the Altai Mountains. First, beyond the cities, Russia is a beautiful country. I would recommend anyone going to Russia, to spend some time in the Altai region. Russian people may not like to smile at you on the metro (mostly because they find it strange to smile at someone they don’t know), but they are the most kind, helpful and welcoming people I have met. I was lucky to be out there during the World Cup, and the atmosphere in Moscow changed. I think it’s really unfortunate that there is such a fear in the UK to go to Russia due to political tensions and conflicts, which should not be extended or generalised to the everyday Russian person.

Frances: That seems to be the common experience of most people who travel across Russia, I was blown away by how hospitable everyone was. Do you have any favourite memories from your trips?

Allyson: Maybe not so amusing, but I have a story that will really highlight the welcoming nature of the Russian people. In 2017, while at this camp in the Altai, the other English teachers and I went for a walk and came across a small holiday park. At the park there were a few small lodges and then the main reception desk, which sold some essentials. There was also a small pool at the centre of these lodges and a volleyball court. The teachers and I decided to grab a drink and sat down at one of the outdoor tables. A group of Russian holidaymakers realised that we were British and asked us to play a few games of volleyball, and we mixed the teams. I am a hopeless volleyball player, which everyone made fun of me for, but it was a really great experience. Now I’m able to tell people, “I played volleyball with some random Russian people in the Altai Mountains.”

Frances: What a unique and wonderful memory! Besides practicing volleyball ahead of travelling, do you have any top tips for anyone else travelling to Russia?

Allyson: Be organised! Make sure you have all of your documentation and that you sort out your accommodation. Wherever you are conducting research, research where and how you will do this. I found it very useful to read a guide to the Russian Archives and the State Library before conducting research there; even just the guide on “How to register” was very useful. If you are staying somewhere for a long time, look for online expat groups or join the “Meet up” app, so you can meet people out there (of course, meet in public places and be vigilant). It can be isolating when conducting research in a country where you don’t know anyone.

The Use of Soviet Past in the Present will take place on Thursday 8th October from 6pm till 7:30pm via Zoom.

Frances Shalom is a Young Pushkin volunteer and a recent graduate of King’s College, London. Following completion of her History degree, she is currently applying to publish her thesis on the use of monetary policy as a tool of the Cold War.

Read Frances’s interviews with the other ‘The Use of the Soviet Past’ panelists Issy Sawkins and Lucy Birge.