REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Margarita KARAMIHOVA: Different Generations, Different Shared Memories … 261
Both result in strong belief that only MRF can guarantee rights and freedom of Muslim as
whole and Turks in Bulgaria in particular. Capsulation of the group and strong electoral
motivation are most probably desired outcome.
Subsequent economic consequences of post-socialist regional economic collapse
(what I shall refer to as ‘economic violence’) have shaped the path of transformation
and produced a particular regional model of post-communist transformation. (Pickles
2001: 1). Early 90s were years of mass voluntary emigration of Bulgarian Turks and
we witnessed an emigrational wave higher than that in 1989. The push factor seemed
to be economical. Depopulation of whole regions continues until nowadays.
Generations born after 80ies grew up with stigmatised image of communist times. Young
Turks receive via politicians, internet, media and even movies the image of ‘dark times
’marked by oppression, murders and Exodus. They face difficult economic and political reality
and develop strategy for successful emigration. Their generational ‘memory of communism’ is
painted black and they refuse to share memories of their grandparent’s generation.
Conclusion
Halbwachs states that the reading of the present is not only influenced by the
historiography of the official ideology, but by the individual and remembered experiences
of the people. The individual experienced past might even be more important for
analysing the present than the official historiography (Halbwachs 1984:55). Those
individual memories might gain the status of a collective memory, a “hidden history”
which might be contrasted with the authoritative discourse of the political regime. In
Bulgarian case the socialist reading of the past was superseded by the ethnic/ religious
reading of the past, which was just as authoritarian as the former and served the interests
of looking for status quo parties.
Due to different personal experiences and different social environment with different
influences on Turks in Bulgaria, since about mid 90ies there are two collective memories
on socialist past, developed in different age groups. The myth about abundant, pieceful
and prosperous past is muted or passing away with old, powerless generation. The myth
of constant repressions, rejection and economicl genocide is widening its territory.
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