The war in Ukraine crosses forests of symbols, which observe it with glances

War in Ukraine: how Russia awakens the memory of the Battle of Stalingrad to justify sending its soldiers to the front line
Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, which ended with the decisive victory of the Red Army over the Nazi invaders. A memory now politically exploited by the Kremlin.

The war in Ukraine crosses forests of symbols, which observe it with glances of the past. Among them, the Battle of Stalingrad, a major episode in the “Great Patriotic War”. After six months of fighting, on February 2, 1943, the Red Army – Soviet, therefore also made up of Ukrainians – definitively pushed back the Nazi troops, during a victory that turned the conflict upside down.

The 80th anniversary of this event will be celebrated with great fanfare in Russia, especially since soldiers are engaged at the front. A new opportunity for the Kremlin to regenerate its ideology, drawing on the glorious roots of history. Volgograd, the current name of the city, is a living witness to the past, which haunts its every corner. The commemorations will take place on the Allée des Héros, the main artery of the city. LED screens have been installed on Lenin Avenue, and the buildings themselves will act as giant screens.

Near the stadium, an imposing staircase leads to the top of the Mamayev kurgan (mound), from which stands a colossal statue dedicated to the Motherland – 85 meters high and weighing 8,000 tons. In the bowels of the memorial, soldiers tirelessly recite the same choreography, and click their heels on large black tiles. A monumental hand rises from the ground to brandish an eternal flame. And all around, a spiral staircase winds up to the upper floor, along a wall with golden reflections.

A subliminal message to public opinion
It is here, on January 17, that a ceremony was organized to welcome the departure of 168 volunteers, within a first “Stalingrad” detachment, reports the RIA Novosti* agency. The regional governor, Andrei Bocharov, celebrated their filiation with these “grandfathers and great-grandfathers (…) who liberated their native land from fascism.” Whatever the Kremlin says, this staging marks “a turning point in communication on the special operation, which appears, more and more, like a real war”, explains Emilia Koustova, researcher in Russian civilization at the Strasbourg University.

The reference to Stalingrad was still not very present at the start of the war in Ukraine. “It appears especially in the summer and in September, which corresponds to the time when the Russian army is experiencing difficulties”, continues the researcher. Like a toolbox, history can be summoned for different uses. While “the siege of Leningrad represents the immense suffering of the population, the battle of Stalingrad today evokes the idea of ​​perseverance, heroism and self-sacrifice of the army, against all odds.” These images therefore refer to “sacrifice, but with the hope of victory”.

“The memory of this battle prepares public opinion for a difficult, long-term war.”

Emilia Koustova, researcher in Russian civilization at the University of Strasbourg at franceinfo
“Thousands of Telegram channels and bloggers reject the idea that the Russian army is repeating what the Soviet army did, with the same legitimacy,” continues Emilia Koustova. Some media have also compared the battle of Bakhmout to that of Stalingrad, operational analysis in support. The leader of the paramilitary group Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine, tried an analogy with the assault of his mercenaries in Soledar, in the Donbass. His remarks, however, sparked a controversy in Volgograd, where they were interpreted as a lack of respect, reports the site V1.ru*.

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For several months, in the city, it is already not uncommon to come across the word “Stalingrad”, on large posters supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Some even want to go further, by renaming the city. The former Tsaritsyn became Stalingrad in 1925 before being transformed into Volgograd in 1961, as part of the de-Stalinization movement led by leader Nikita Khrushchev. But there have been calls for years to revert to the old name. During the 70th anniversary, symbolically, the “city of the Volga” had been renamed for a day, at the initiative of the Communists.

In the light of the war in Ukraine, the Communist Party, military bloggers and politicians are campaigning in this direction. The RIA Novosti agency even broadcast a video from the front, where soldiers are demanding a return to “Stalingrad”. For the president of the Russian Veterans movement, Ildar Rezyapov, quoted by the agency*, renaming the city will remind the soldiers that they are “also fighting for Stalingrad, a symbol of Russian military prowess, courage, bravery”. How far to push logic? The Kremlin declared on January 27 that no discussion was taking place.

From collective trauma to heroic narrative
The importance given to this 80th anniversary, in any case, does not seem “disproportionate”, in the eyes of Cécile Vaissié, researcher in Russian civilization at the University of Rennes, especially since the Russians “adore round accounts”.

It is, on the other hand, challenged by the evolution of the discourses surrounding the memory of Stalingrad. Until two decades ago, the central idea was above all: “Never again”, and “generations of Soviets recounted the horrors of war while crying, or humming melancholy songs in the parks”.