SUMMARY:

Zhanna Kormina’s article is devoted to an analysis of folklore songs that revolve around the theme of a soldier’s return from the Great Patriotic War. Kormina explores the differences between the popular perceptions of war and the official discourse. The author argues that as a result of the war, a large segment of the Soviet population internalized aspects of national identity. The key factor was the distinctive language with which the state spoke to, engaged, and mobilized the population for the war effort. A peculiar feature of this new language was the rendition of abstract patriotic slogans into images and terms taken from the sphere of everyday life, such as those of motherhood and spousal faithfulness. The author demonstrates how the common imagery was used in officially sponsored lyrics and popular ballads to the effect of telling different stories about the war.