SUMMARY:

Alexander Etkind calls the essay by Xenia Cherkaev “somewhat confused,” but welcomes the opportunity to engage in a serious discussion that the Russian field has been lacking so far. He sees one of the reasons for Cherkaev’s criticism in a general trend negating Memory Studies as a field with its own objectives and research conventions. Etkind takes a stand against confusing the institutional history of the GULAG and Stalinism with the study of memory and mnemonic practices. He also discusses some moral and political issues involved in Cherkaev’s reading of his book.