Images of the future in the USSR: on the historiography of the problem
https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2025.3.1
Abstract
Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of historiography on the subject of images of the future in the USSR. The topic is relevant both for modern Russian society, which needs its own image of the future, and for historical science, since the study of perceptions of the future is carried out within the framework of current scientific trends (history of ideas, historical psychology, historical prognostication). It has a significant potential for researchers for many of its aspects have not been analyzed.
Materials and methods. The study is based on the review of the main works devoted to the problem of perceptions of the future in the Soviet Union, using general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis), as well as historical methods (comparative method).
Analysis. The authors analyze the main works devoted to this topic, various approaches and methods used to study images of the future in the USSR. The studies of Soviet representations of the future have passed through several stages in their development. In the Soviet period, this topic was considered in the context of literary and cultural history. In the 1990s-2000s, representations of the future began to be perceived more broadly, but still as one aspect of larger objects of research. Only in the early 2010s did the study of images of the future stand out in a separate direction within the study of Soviet history. The main problems here are the conditions of formation and changes in the images of the future in different periods, the reflection of perceptions of the future in Soviet culture, among Soviet party and state leaders, and among ordinary Soviet citizens.
Results. The conclusion is made about what aspects within the framework of this direction remain understudied, what questions need to be posed to researchers, and what approaches to the topic can be considered relevant today. The study of images of the future in different time periods of the Soviet regime can be considered in demand (since with few exceptions they have not been investigated too deeply in terms of representations of the future), the study of the embodiment of the future in Soviet fiction at different stages of its development.
Keywords
About the Authors
A. V. Averyanov
Southern Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anton V. Averyanov - Dr. Sc. (History), Associate Professor
105/42, Bolshaya Sadovaya St., Rostov-on-Don, 344006
E. V. Kamynin
Educational Center "Advanced Solutions in Education" (SEC PRO)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Evgeniy V. Kamynin - Assistant at the Scientific
105/42, Bolshaya Sadovaya St., Rostov-on-Don, 344006
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Review
For citations:
Averyanov A.V., Kamynin E.V. Images of the future in the USSR: on the historiography of the problem. Humanities and law research. 2025;12(3):353-361. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37493/2409-1030.2025.3.1
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