Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe: Tropes and Trends ed. by Anastasiya Astapova et al. (review)

Reviewed by: Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe: Tropes and Trends ed. by Anastasiya Astapova et al. Lili Turza (bio) conspiracy theories in eastern europe: tropes and trends Edited by Anastasiya Astapova, Onoriu Colăcel, Corneliu Pintilescu, and Tamás Scheibner Routledge https: //www. routledge. com/Conspiracy-Theories-in-Eastern-Europe-Tropes-and-Trends/Astapova-Colacel-Pintilescu-Scheibner/p/book/9780367566968 310 pages; Print, 52. 95 At the height of the government-endorsed anti-Soros campaign in Hungary in 2017, prominent Fidesz party members and loyalists were touring the country to hold elaborate campaign presentations about the nefarious "Soros plan" at local forums. At one of these events, Katalin Novák (former—and ungracefully fallen—president of Hungary) cited a saying of László Kövér (Speaker of the National Assembly), arguing that "in Hungary, and generally in Central Europe, the key to survival is the belief in conspiracy theories. " Indeed, the propagation of conspiracy theories by political and cultural elites, as well as the circulation of such popular suspicions, has deep historical roots in the post-socialist region of (Central) Eastern Europe. Ravaged by wars, antisemitic pogroms, ethnic conflicts, authoritarian oppression, and revolutionary upheavals, conspiracist narratives in Eastern Europe have both caused dire consequences and fulfilled complex social, political, and psychological functions throughout history, and continue to play crucial roles in the discourses of populist politicians today. Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe, edited by Anastasiya Astapova, Onoriu Colăcel, Corneliu Pintilescu, and Tamás Scheibner, explores the conspiracy culture of the region, tracing historical legacies, nation-building projects, the long-reaching effects of Cold War political culture, and new trends relating to the processes of democratization and globalization. The volume consists of an in-depth introduction and thirteen chapters, organized into four thematic sections. It brings together scholars of folklore, history, anthropology, media studies, political science, psychology, philosophy, End Page 32 and cultural studies. The editors' introduction gives a thorough overview of historical, political, and social processes and changes in the region showcasing key conspiracist arguments in each historical era. The introduction also contains a critical reflection on conspiracy theory literature, situating Eastern Europe in a largely US-centric field of research. The volume from the outset keeps consistent in treating conspiracy theories as complex meaning-making devices with diverse and varied functions (sometimes leading to devastating outcomes) depending on the exact contexts in which they are articulated, an approach that greatly benefits the book as it dives deeper into contentious events and historical periods. The first part of the book explores the conspiracy culture of Eastern Europe under socialist dictatorships, reflecting on the lasting legacies of these regimes on political thinking in the region. Anastasiya Astapova's chapter on Chernobyl conspiracy theories explores both folk accounts and myths, as well as state-endorsed conspiracy theories around the exploded reactor in the ominous nuclear power plant. Her chapter neatly and systematically collects diverse narratives about the disaster, showing how folk practices and beliefs spread in the wake of the tragedy and how the late-Soviet regime attempted to frame the events as an alleged CIA sabotage. In addition, the chapter explores eco-nationalist accounts of the Chernobyl disaster in the territories most affected by radiation contamination, Ukraine and Belarus, where nationalist elites accused the Russian regime of deliberate genocide. The chapter is followed by Pascal Girard's engaging account of the export of Stalinist conspiracy theories (as means to discredit political rivals) to the Communist parties of Italy and France. His chapter gives a concise overview of Stalinist paranoia culminating in show trials and the legitimization of state violence, and explores in detail the limits of Soviet-style conspiracy theories utilized by Communist parties in modernizing Western political contexts. Anna Kirziuk's chapter scrutinizes Soviet conspiracy theories around political dissidents' alleged association with Western secret services. Kirziuk argues that anti-West conspiracy theories were not just tactically used by Soviet elites for political purposes but constituted essential parts of Soviet ideology. The chapter analyzes in detail the portrayal of dissidents in propaganda and the discursive strategies the Soviet regime used in order to deprive them of their agency. End Page 33 In the second section, authors cover the topic. . .