Historical Memory of Student Youth of the Hero City (Based on the Example of Volgograd)

The content of historical memory determines the worldview of a social community; it is a guideline for the interpretation and assessment of contemporary events. Equally dangerous are the dogmatic judgments of historical memory and the amorphousness and blurriness of its images. The purpose of the article is to identify the relationship between military and peaceful symbols in the structure of the historical memory of Volgograd student youth as a manifestation of the specifics of the region with an emphasis on the military past. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of historical memory of J. Assmann. The method of empirical research is focus groups with students of Volgograd state universities (4 focus groups of 15 people, N = 60). The attitude of students towards the Soviet and post-Soviet periods in the history of the region has been revealed. The place of the Battle of Stalingrad in the structure of the historical memory of Volgograd students has been determined. Alternative symbols in the content of the historical memory of the region’s youth are described. The results of the study may be useful to regional youth policy committees, educational organizations providing patriotic education, and specialists in the field of museum affairs.