The Soviet-Afghan war as a source of traumatic stress (Based on the epistolary heritage of residents of the Zhashkiv region)

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of this article is a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of the social problems caused by the moral, ethical, and psychological traumas experienced by Afghan War veterans and their families. These traumas were triggered by the events of the Soviet-Afghan War and manifested in communication both during the intervention and after its end – across years and even decades. Scientific novelty. In this article, published materials – letters, memoirs, and interviews of residents of the Zhashkiv region – are comprehensively analyzed for the first time. The focus is on former enlisted soldiers and junior commanders of the Soviet Army, commonly referred to as «Afghans» – the term used in the USSR for those who served in the Afghan War. Their actual experiences – traumatic stresses – are presented in the context of documenting the expression of these emotions specifically in their epistolary heritage. According to the authors, documentary and oral-historical evidence openly and thoroughly represents the fates of the servicemen who had to endure risks, fear, and at times the hell of the Soviet-Afghan War of 1979–1989. It is demonstrated that the shocks and traumas experienced by the «Afghans» lead to a significantly different understanding of those events than is customary in «official» historiography and didactic literature. Conclusions. The war in Afghanistan had a hybrid character, although this was not acknowledged at the time. Information about it was restricted – a typical feature of the policies of the communist leadership. The population of Ukraine (the Ukrainian SSR) knew very little. The situation was arranged in such a way that people were reluctant to talk about combat operations or the horrors of war. Soldiers and sergeants returning from service – the «Afghans» – were also not particularly inclined to share their experiences. One of the reasons for this was the regime’s desire to keep political stability in society. As a result, few were interested in spreading information about what was actually happening across the border, in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, it was impossible to conceal everything, because the state of tension and the permanent stress that thousands of servicemen had to endure could hardly be hidden – especially by those who had repeatedly been on the verge of life and death, had suffered torture, or had been maimed. The psychological situation was no better for the relatives who received notifications about the death or injury of their children or parents. Drawing on unique primary sources, the authors reveal a much broader scale of tragedy than was previously assumed.