Karol Józef Wojtyła was elected pope five years before I was born, and took the name John Paul II. I was twenty-one years old when he died. His papacy was the first I ever knew and had a formative impact on my life. Thousands of Catholics who grew up under the Polish pontiff fondly call themselves the John Paul II Generation.
A frightening parallel exists in Russia today. The first generation of post-Soviet youth are coming of age, and they are calling themselves the Putin Generation. The Nashi movement is one of several pro-Kremlin youth groups that foster Putin's cult of personality. The New York Times ran a story this summer about the group, but I think the video images are most stunning, and so I include several for your viewing pleasure, or horror, as the case may be.
The Putin Generation (Part I of II, by the NYT)
The Putin Generation (Part II of II)
Наша армия, a Nashi military recruitment video
(This video is in Russian, but the images and message are clear enough for anyone to see.)
For a scholarly consideration of the origins of Nashi, see Douglas Robert Buchacek's thesis, NASHA Pravda, NASHE Delo: The Mobilization of the Nashi Generation in Contemporary Russia.
Showing posts with label John Paul the Great. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Paul the Great. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
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