Cultural Memory as Selection of the Past: Practices of Oblivion

Abstract

The article examines the role of oblivion in the phenomenon of cultural memory. An analysis is given of oblivion as a sociocultural practice that can “reconcile” different cultural narratives regarding traumatic events from the country’s past. A theoretical understanding is given to the problem of cultural memory as a selection of the past through oblivion, as one of the ways for transforming cultural memory. The types of oblivion in the context of drastic social transformations of society are highlighted using the example of the Chechen Republic. The authors come to the conclusion that in conditions of fragmentation of the political and cultural space, such a path is an important condition for social stabilization through the creation of a common cultural metanarrative. An institution such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission can serve as a mechanism for eliminating from memory traumatic experiences that threaten to separate the carriers of different narratives.