Sincerity after Communism (PDF)

A compelling study of "e;new sincerity"e; as a powerful cultural practice, born in perestroika-era Russia, and how it interconnects with global social and media flows The global cultural practice of a "e;new sincerity"e; in literature, media, art, design, fashion, film, and architecture grew steadily in the wake of the Soviet collapse. Cultural historian Ellen Rutten traces the rise and proliferation of a new rhetoric of sincere social expression characterized by complex blends of unabashed honesty, playfulness, and irony. Insightful and thought provoking, Rutten's masterful study of a sweeping cultural trend with roots in late Soviet Russia addresses postsocialist, postmodern, and postdigital questions of selfhood. The author explores how and why a uniquely Russian artistic and social philosophy was shaped by "e;cultural memory, commodification, and mediatization,"e; and how, under Putin, "e;new sincerity"e; talk merges with transnational pleas to "e;revive sincerity."e; This essential study stands squarely at the intersection of the history of emotions, media studies, and post-Soviet studies to shed light on a new cultural reality-one that is profoundly affecting creative thought, artistic expression, and lifestyle virtually everywhere.