Denial or Distortion? From “Peaceful Soviet Citizens” to “Genocide of Soviet Nations”: Holocaust Memory in Soviet and Modern Russia

Abstract This paper traces the evolution of Holocaust memory on Soviet territory, focusing on the historical development of commemorative frameworks from the Soviet period to contemporary Russia. It examines how state narratives have consistently marginalized specific Nazi victim groups, particularly Jews, through a model of universalized suffering centered on the figure of the “peaceful Soviet citizen.” While other post-Soviet countries, such as Ukraine and the Baltic states, have acknowledged the Holocaust as a distinct chapter of World War II history, Russia continues to maintain and adapt a commemorative tradition that largely omits explicit references to the Holocaust. At the core of this study is the question of whether this exclusion reflects a deliberate policy of erasure or a continued adherence to Soviet-era commemorative norms. Special attention is given to the post-2018 federal project “No Statute of Limitations” ( Bez sroka davnosti ), which promotes the concept of the “genocide of the Soviet people” as a unifying narrative of Nazi crimes. While this concept appears to broaden recognition of victimhood, yet it often conceals the uniquely targeted and ideological nature of the Nazi persecution of Jews. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including official documents and media reports, the article examines how the memory of the Holocaust was shaped, suppressed, and reinterpreted over time. It analyzes the shifting functions of memory politics in both Soviet and post-Soviet contexts, considering how commemorative strategies have been shaped by changing political agendas. Ultimately, the study offers a critical assessment of the continuity and transformation of Holocaust remembrance in Russia, revealing how the past is mobilized in service of the present.