Memory Politics in Soviet Propaganda System in 1960s — Early 1980s: Case of Libraries in Novosibirsk Region

This article examines the propaganda activities of urban and rural public libraries in the Novosibirsk region within the context of state memory policy during the Soviet era, specifically from the 1960s to the early 1980s. It identifies the political-ideological, socio-cultural, and material conditions and factors that influenced these activities. The study delineates the forms and methods employed by library staff, highlighting key historical symbols utilized in their work and elucidating their meanings. Grounded in the field of Memory Studies, this research relies on administrative documents that reflect the operations of public mass libraries in the Novosibirsk region. The findings indicate that during the studied period, these libraries centrally, actively, and extensively disseminated the Soviet commemorative metanarrative through a variety of propaganda forms and methods. However, by the 1970s, a previously high level of reader interest in recurring library commemorations diminished, reflecting a broader ideological crisis. The article positively assesses the libraries’ efforts in developing local historical studies and fostering readers’ interest in local history, as well as facilitating public discussions that contributed to a more nuanced collective memory among regional residents and a degree of democratization in their perspectives.