Fighting for an own narrative. The Occurrence of the “Afghancy” in the World of Veterans

BEATE FIESELER (Düsseldorf)

Abstract:

During the Perestroijka period in Soviet history, a public discussion about the meaning of the Soviet-Afghan war started. It triggered a critical rethinking process of the Soviet master war narrative. In contrast to veterans of the “Great Patriotic War” (VOV), the veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war, referring to themselfs as “Afghancy”, did not shape a narrative of heroism. Instead they made the social consequences of the war public: The high number of casualties, the rather weak medical care for veterans, many of whom were unable to leave their homes or were forced to resort to begging. The Soviet-Afghan war became a catalyst for a new perception of war in general and changed the perspective on the “Great Patriotic War” itself.