The terminological framework for research on Soviet history after Stalin

Authors

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

Keywords:

Stalinism, post-Stalinism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, post-Stalin period, Soviet subjectivity, historical memory, politics of memory
Supporting Agencies
This work was carried out within the framework of the state programme of scientific research of the Republic of Belarus for 2026–2030 «Socio-economic, political and national-cultural security of Belarusian statehood» (research assignment «Historical regions of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Eurasia»).

Abstract

The article examines the methodological problem of choosing terminology to designate Soviet history after the death of J. Stalin. The author analyses the distinction between the chronological concept of the «post-Stalin period» and the conceptual term «post-Stalinism». It is shown that the term «post-Stalinism» allows us to capture not merely a chronological transition, but a qualitative condition of society conditioned by the preceding period, its internal contradictions, and the cyclical nature of the return to Stalin’s legacy. Special attention is paid to the influence of poststructuralist methodology on the study of Soviet history, particularly the formation of the Soviet subjectivity school in Anglophone historiography (the works of S. Kotkin, I. Halfin, J. Hellbeck, and A. Yurchak). The article concludes that the choice between terms «post-Stalin period» and «post-Stalinism» is a choice between chronological description and conceptual analysis, and that the use of the prefix post- in historical research indicates the maturity of the discipline, its capacity for self-reflection and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Author Biography

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

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

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Published

2026-10-19

Issue

No. 3 (2026): Journal of the Belarusian State University. History

Section

World History

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How to Cite

[1]
Menkouski, V.I. 2026. The terminological framework for research on Soviet history after Stalin. Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 3 (Oct. 2026), 57–62. DOI:https://doi.org/10.33581/2520-6338-2026-3-%p.