We become target NR. 1: the Kremlin turned its attention to the post-Soviet states

But the target is also young people, for whom a good opinion of life in the Soviet Union is formed. And one of the most common examples in recent years is the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (CN), which we have refused to force into the European Union.

“Because it was a two-month study, we cannot compare any trends with other periods. We only support in March and April, ”said Agnė Eidimtaitė, author of debunkEU.org, for the Info TV Info Day program.

According to the interlocutor of the program, it is not a new phenomenon that nostalgia for the Soviet Union is used in disinformation.

“However, this year, as it is thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the matter will certainly be discussed in the Russian-language media. We are likely to see articles or other content (for example, TV shows, radio) in the really Russian media, ”said A. Eidimtaitė.

The propaganda target is also the Ignalina nuclear power plant.

One of the study’s authors noted that the misinformation narrative about the good life in the Soviet Union that was being created was not much different from the propaganda narratives that were spread during the Soviet era.

“The whole world is created to have social guarantees, there is a brotherhood of nations, the Soviet Union was modern, it provided infrastructure to the states. These narratives are developed, contrasted with the information narratives that are already popular in today’s pro-Kremlin and Russian-speaking media.

An example would be the Ignalina nuclear power plant. The Ignalina nuclear power plant built in the Soviet Union is presented as a gift to Lithuania and the entire Baltic region, providing free electricity, but after regaining independence, Lithuania, which is being manipulated by the EU, had to close it ”, said E. Eidimtait. common speeches.

According to her, the Astrava nuclear power plant is also involved in this narrative. Lithuania is said to be jealous of Belarus, which has built the Astrava nuclear power plant, and Lithuania already regrets having closed the Ignalina nuclear power plant.

“The fact that the Ignalina nuclear power plant reactor type corresponded to the Chernobyl type and, according to international standards, was recognized as unsafe and therefore potentially threatening, has not been thoroughly investigated,” he said. E. Eidimtaitė.

There are neighbors who are more affected by propaganda

The interlocutor of the program said that in this way the phenomenon of nostalgia is played out.

“Hindsight, a certain past time, erases certain bad things, and more determines the retention of beautiful memories in human consciousness. It is mainly aimed at older people who lived in the Soviet Union. People who have experienced youth in the Soviet Union are especially impressive, because people often remember youth bright enough, and those bad things are forgotten, ”said E. Eidimtaitė.

The study author also highlighted the Russian-speaking population in all post-Soviet countries.

“They are also affected by that misinformation. Some sociological research shows that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they feel that they have lost a certain national privilege that was being created in the Soviet Union, ”said E. Eidimtaitė.

According to the interlocutor, the transition period after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of independence was often resisted, when not all residents were able to adapt quickly and successfully.

“We know that some people have lost their jobs, and the perpetrators of disinformation often trust this as well,” said E. Eidimtaitė.

According to the author of the study, the antidote to misinformation is truth and historical facts.

“After digging deeper and creating a discussion with people who nostalgically remember the Soviet Union, it is understood that there were bad things. We need to discuss with those people, we need facts, historical discussions, and finally to realize that the Soviet Union has taken a lot, ”said E. Eidimtaitė.