A DARK MIRROR OF POST-SOVIET MASCULINITY. BETWEEN OEDIPUS AND THE FEMME FATALE: A PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW OF CHILDREN OF CHANGE (2024)

Abstract The Russian TV series Children of Change (Deti Peremen) offers a darkly fascinating psychoanalytic exploration of masculinity, maternal dominance, and the devastating effects of unresolved Oedipal conflicts. At its core, the narrative is drenched in Freudian anxieties—castrating mothers, seductive yet destructive femmes fatales, and the inevitable downfall of men who fail to navigate the labyrinth of their desires. This review critically examines the series through the lens of Freud’s theories, supplemented by insights from later psychoanalysts, gender studies, and philosophical perspectives on subjectivity and power.