Constructing Historical Justice Discourse in Lithuanian and Russian Press in Lithuania: The Case of Holocaust

Abstract

World War II in general and Holocaust in particular are important topics of the debate in the Lithuanian public discourse. Due to that the Lithuanian and Russian press is seen by the author not just as a significant source of information, but also as a peculiar tool for structuring knowledge about Lithuania’s historical past. The article reveals that the perception of Holocaust history is changing in the Lithuanian and Russian press in recent years by rethinking of the dominant Lithuanian historical narrative and representing diverse approaches to the role of Lithuanians in collaboration with the Nazi regime. The Holocaust Discourse is constructed as important experience in considering and strengthening the human rights protection discourse in Lithuania as well. The article is based on selected texts published in 2016 by online daily DELFI and printed newspapers in the Lithuanian and Russian languages (150 publications in total).