"The Immortal Regiment: Socio-Cultural Context and Philosophical Reflection

Philosophy

Abstract

The reason for writing this article is the discussion that has taken place in the regional and federal media about the "Immortal Regiment" action. The article examines the socio-cultural and philosophical foundations of this action. From the scientific point of view, the action is a ritual, while its content can be examined from the point of view of the theory of collective memory. Being an action based on the synthesis of individual and collective memory of the participants, the action, according to the authors, looks like a practical embodiment of N. Fedorov's "Philosophy of the Common Cause". If we try to extrapolate the tendencies considered in the article for several decades ahead, we can predict the transformation of the event into an unofficial celebration of all the victims of wars and disasters, and not only in Russia and the post-Soviet space, but also in the far abroad. We can expect an increase in the variety of interpretations of the "Immortal Regiment" action and, as a consequence, the emergence of various conflicts on this basis. In this connection, an urgent practical task arises for philosophy, cultural studies, and other humanities in order to create a politically correct and multicultural-resistant concept of the holiday.