On 15 December, a special screening of the documentary Krasnaya Ten’ (The Red Shadow), produced by ICDC member Zona de Securitate, took place at Europe Café. The event was dedicated to a critical examination of Soviet memory and its enduring influence on perceptions, identities, and social realities in the Transnistrian region.

The screening brought together representatives of academia, civil society, journalism, and the wider public, creating a structured setting for reflection on Soviet nostalgia. Within the discussions, nostalgia was addressed not as a purely emotional attachment to the past, but as a mechanism of influence that continues to shape identity narratives and transmit them across generations.

The documentary is structured as a series of short episodes, each contributing a complementary analytical perspective on a constructed social reality in which the past is frequently positioned as a dominant reference point, often overshadowing future-oriented critical thinking. In this context, the film explores the concept of Homo Sovieticus in its local manifestations, as well as the construction of what is commonly referred to as the “Transnistrian identity.”

The production was developed with the involvement of historians and subject-matter experts, who provided academic contextualisation and analytical framing. Their contributions helped situate the documentary’s themes within broader discussions on the relationship between memory, propaganda, and collective identity formation.

The discussions following the screening underscored the importance of maintaining offline spaces for informed debate and critical engagement. Participants emphasised that such forums are essential for unpacking contested historical narratives and for understanding how interpretations of the past continue to influence present social dynamics and future trajectories.

The final version of Krasnaya Ten’ (The Red Shadow), produced by Zona de Securitate, is available on the project’s YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaT2m5_tHM6-Du4wB2YqJRyNvv56xMrEk