THREE “GURTOPRAVKI” AND 249 “BURENKI”: HEROISM AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MEMORY OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The article examines the memory of labour heroes in Russian society. It compares the processes of their memorialisation and the associated commemorative practices in the context of historical developments from the 1930s to the 2020s. The analysis reconstructs the wartime achievement of three “gurtopravki” - women responsible for driving and tending cattle herds - who evacuated 249 pedigree cows from the Ukrainian SSR to Altai Krai during the Great Patriotic War. The cows were affectionately referred to as “burenki,” a traditional Russian name for dairy cows. The study also considers the women’s subsequent achievements in pedigree livestock breeding in the region during the Soviet period. Particular attention is paid to state memory policy and its influence on commemorative practices at the regional level.