Totalitarian Regime through the Optics of TV Series: The Archetype of Paradise and the Dialectics of the State

The article presents an analysis of the television series “The Penal Battalion”, “The First Circle” and “Liquidation”, covering the wartime and post-war periods in the USSR. The directorial perception of the conflict between a person and the state machine in the context of tragic historical episodes is considered. The idea of the state in the collective consciousness, reflected in three different telenovelas, is analyzed. In the final part of his article, the author comes to the conclusion that the relationship between an individual and the state is one of the leading themes for both the filmmakers and the audience. Such ideas as loyalty to the home country, pride in the fatherland and the people, in the history of the state, the experience of the unity of all citizens are of primary importance for both the characters of the series and the viewers. The creators of the series are obviously faced with the challenge of artistic rethinking the history of our country in compliance with the modern imperatives.