Symbol of revolution: «The image of Kerensky» in the studies of B. I. Kolonitskii

Authors

  • Viachaslau I. Menkouski Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

Keywords:

революция, война, культ вождя, символ, репрезентация, А. Ф. Керенский, Б. И. Колоницкий

Abstract

The article analizes scrutiny of the mutual influences of facts and symbols in the studies of B. I. Kolonitskii evaluation of symbolism as a form of representation of power, examines of the process of transformation of social, political, ideological, cultural myths and simulacrums into a means of manipulating the public consciousness, and, consequently, in the factor of constructing reality. When interacting with the society, the government uses political symbols, strives to attract the society to its side through political symbols, declare the community of purpose and tasks, identify itself, including through power personalities, the spokesman of common aspirations and hopes. Representatives of power structures become semiotic signs, with varying degrees of reliability reflecting the commonality of elite and mass aspirations. State politicians are transformed, if they succeed, into symbols of the revolution. The revolutionary government always has the desire to achieve this, but it is not always possible to achieve the task set. However, in the case of the successful implementation of the «symbolic project», or in case of its failure, the historian, when studying personal symbols, gets an opportunity to analyze more deeply the many components of the revolutionary process. The author to the conclusion that symbols are especially important in the critical moments of history, during social upheavals and cataclysms. The Russian Revolution of 1917 unconditionally refers to such historical events.

Author Biography

  • Viachaslau I. Menkouski, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    doctor of science (history), full professor; professor at the department of Russian history, faculty of history

References

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Published

2018-07-30

Issue

No. 3 (2018): Journal of the Belarusian State University. History

Section

Historiography

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How to Cite

[1]
Menkouski, V.I. 2018. Symbol of revolution: «The image of Kerensky» in the studies of B. I. Kolonitskii. Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 3 (Jul. 2018), 102–109.