Voices of Victory (review of the publication “The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 in letters and memories of residents of the Kuibyshev Region: a historical and documentary album dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. – Samara: Slovo, 2025. – 237 p.”)

Annotation

The article analyzes the publication “The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 in the Letters and Memoirs of the Residents of the Kuibyshev Region: a historical and documentary album dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945”, which was published in 2025 through the efforts of Samara historians and archivists. The relevance of the album and its significance for the development of Russian commemorative practices and historical anthropology are emphasized. The structure of the collection, organized according to a thematic principle and comprising a welcome address, introduction, 3 sections, and appendices, is examined. Particular attention is given to the specific and institutional attribution of the materials, many of which are published for the first time. The informational and navigational merits of the publication are noted. The key advantages of the project, which are significant for historical education, include the high scientific and archaeographic level of the materials and their printing, as well as their accessibility. It is noted that the proposed corpus of sources goes beyond the scope outlined in the title, allowing for the exploration of the specifics of frontline daily life, the language of the era, and the emotional state of the war participants. The qualitative and quantitative parameters of the album indicate its potential demand among a broad audience for scientific, educational, enlightenment and exhibition purposes.

Keywords

• The Great Patriotic War
• historical documentary album
• front-line letters
• front-line memoirs
• archive
• Kuibyshev region
• historical anthropology
• personal sources
• commemorative practice
• historical education
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References

1. Velikaya Otechestvennaya voyna 1941–1945 gg. v pismakh i vospominaniyakh zhiteley Kuybyshevskoy oblasti: istoriko-dokumentalnyy albom, posvyashhennyy Pobede v Velikoy Otechestvennoy voyne 1941–1945 gg. [The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 in Letters and Memoirs of Residents of the Kuibyshev Region: a Historical and Documentary Album Dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945]. Samara: Slovo; 2025, 237 p.

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