The long shadow of propaganda

In her memoir Raised by the Kremlin Julia Matyukhina describes her life as a child of the Soviet elite and her departure from the authoritarian system's warlike worldview.

Julia Matyukhina was four years old when her family moved from Moscow to Finland in 1986. Julia's parents and entire family were loyal citizens of Soviet society, and many of them were officers in the NKVD or KGB as well as other party loyalists.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Matyukhina family remained in Finland. Her father was involved in founding an oil export company, which quickly made the family wealthy. However, their values remained the same: the Soviet Union was still respected, Stalin was admired, and the weak were despised. The end justified the means, and everyone had to be suspected, as Soviet society had taught them.

Despite her parents' strict ideological upbringing, Julia gradually adopted Western values. She was therefore deeply shocked when Russia launched a full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022. It was then that she realized how deeply Soviet ideology had previously taken root in her thinking.

In her book, Matyukhina tells the story of her life and her family, while also shedding light on the imperialist ideology that dominates modern Russia and why she believes so many Russians accept the war in Ukraine. Matyukhina also considers whether Russians can free themselves from the burden of history and propaganda.

Julia Matyukhina (born 1982) has a master's degree in political science and works for the Central Union for Child Welfare in Finland. Raised by the Kremlin is her first book.