In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
We were romantics in the 1990s and thought that communism was dead. But 10 years passed, and Putin came, and it became obvious that the process is reversible; that communism will, to varying degrees, return again and again.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the cyclical nature of political ideologies, specifically communism, and suggests that its influence can resurface despite past beliefs of its decline.
Svetlana Alexievich's statement captures a moment of disillusionment in the 1990s when many believed communism to be a relic of the past. However, with the rise of leaders like Putin, it highlights the idea that political ideologies can re-emerge and reshape society, questioning the finality of social progress and the perpetual ebb and flow of governance.
Themes
CommunismPoliticsHistoryChangeIdeology
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on political theories, you could use this quote to spark discussion on the resurgence of old ideologies.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes →The subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
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There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
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