A Subdued Palette of Subversion: Artistic Expression, Creativity, and Family Coping Strategies in Soviet Latvia

This arts-informed life-history study reveals how intra- and interpersonal and intergenerational coping mechanisms were used to internalize Soviet rule in Latvian public and private lives and exposes how oppressions operate across generational time. Forty eight of the author's illustrations dispersed throughout the manuscript amplify the emotional content of the written word. The narrative is structured around family letters, memories, and pertinent conversations, which are organized in three chapters. Chapter 1 Subterfuge comprises the author's coming of age in Soviet Latvia and her journey towards attaining specific goals within the oppressive environment. Chapter 2 Subversion is a compilation of recollections of the author's family and immediate Latvian community. The chapter reveals how many Latvians, who cared deeply about their identity and the independence of their country, employed subverting and at times conflicting strategies in order to preserve their cultural identity, and artistic creativity during Soviet rule. Chapter 3 Longing is based on a collection of 110 letters written by the author's grandmother to her brother in the United States between 1947 and 1979. This epistolary correspondence of 32 years offers a rich trove of family history and cultural commentary. The open boundaries of thought in this project allow the audience to read between the lines and discover intimate micro-truths about a group of people who experienced Soviet times. The study questions the scholarly field that analyzes the Soviet Union in terms of binary thinking—the practice of dividing Soviet citizens into collaborators or dissidents, oppressors versus the oppressed, and defining space as private versus public. The project also explores the Soviet Latvian identity, including the causes of the disconnect and differences between the diaspora and the so-called "soviet" Latvians. Respect, tolerance, understanding, and appreciation between former Soviet Latvian and diaspora communities that the author intends to nurture, came forth in her firsthand as a result of deep reflection, listening, and learning during the creation of this project. This dissertation should prove valuable for scholars who study oppression and intergenerational trauma, as well as for educators and community workers who liaise with persons who have lived or are currently living in oppressive circumstances.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leadership, Higher and Adult Education

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Romanovska, Anna

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Restoule, Jean-Paul

• Arts-informed research
• Epistolary studies
• Intergenerational trauma
• Life-history
• Oppression
• Soviet Latvia

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/101094

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/101094