Paper Short Abstract:

This paper critiques linear historical narratives, exploring the Soviet Union's collapse as the "end-times" through Azerbaijani women's memories. It examines nostalgia, trauma, and how colonial pasts shape future dynamics amid geopolitical tensions.

Paper Abstract:

This paper critically examines the nature of historical narratives, challenging the traditional conception of history as a linear trajectory toward either progress (triumph) or decline (catastrophe). Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of French philosophers Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida — who rejected linear temporal models, emphasizing discontinuity and the interpretive nature of history — this research investigates the collapse of the Soviet Union as a paradigmatic instance of “end-times”. Specifically, it focuses on the collective memory of the Soviet-to-post-Soviet transition in Azerbaijan, where a rupture in historical experience has given rise to post-Soviet nostalgia and, for some, trauma, despite the perceived liberation from 71 years of colonization. This ethnographic study is based on biographical interviews that I conducted in 2022 and 2024 with women from four cities in Azerbaijan, whose memories have not been previously documented. The research aims to deconstruct historical meta-narratives by exploring how cultural norms, political ideologies, and power structures shape the formation and suppression of specific narratives in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, it interrogates how the remembrance of the colonial past influences future political and social dynamics, particularly in the context of Azerbaijan's relationship with Russia, a key actor in the ongoing Karabakh conflict.