Victorious defeat? Construction of the cultural myth of defense 1854–1855: a review of the book by M.S. Fedotova “The myth of the Sevastopol defense of 1854–1855 in the cultural memory of the Russian Empire”
https://doi.org/10.21285/2415-8739-2023-4-209-213
EDN: VDQEMS
Abstract
An original and interesting monograph by M.S. Fedotova is built on a solid source base, the author has prepared an up-to-date and timely book. The book is based on a study devoted to the formation of the historical myth about the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855. The author managed to show that in the public consciousness the military defeat suffered by Russia in the Crimean War was transformed into a huge moral victory, comparable to the Patriotic War of 1812. M.S. Fedotova talks in detail about the heroes and anti-heroes of the defense of Sevastopol, comparing V.A. Kornilov, P.S. Nakhimov and A.S. Menshikov. The deep and informative book by M.S. Fedotova may be of interest not only to professional historians, but also to the general reader.
Keywords
Sevastopol,
Crimean War,
myth,
construction,
heroes,
defense,
historiography,
L.N. Tolstoy,
P.S. Nakhimov
Supporting agencies: the study was supported by the RSF grant, project No. 20-78-10044, "Crimea in search of national and confessional harmony, 1783-1920", carried out at St. Petersburg State University.
About the Author
A. S. Puchenkov
Institute of History, St. Petersburg State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Alexander S. Puchenkov,
Dr. Sci. (History), Professor of the Department of Contemporary History of Russia
5, Mendeleevskaya line, St. Petersburg 199034
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