Paper short abstract:

The breakup of soviet system brought different adaptational issues. For instance, former lithuanian soviet officials produce nostalgia of the past, define "us" and "others" in new structures, and sometimes keep rites of societ bureaucracy. This reflects the reactions to the uncertainty of new epoch.

Paper long abstract:

In Lithuania, the breakup of the soviet system brought different adaptational issues. By taking the case of former soviet officials, their adaptation process is very related with nostalgia's context.

Firsly, they actively participate interpreting past and claim for the historical revision, bringing their perspective of 'unlost generation'. Secondly, it must be observed the public participation of former officials, and their shared 'community', which defines common background, values and path to current structures, creates hierarchies betweeen 'old' and 'new' elites. Thirdly, they demand to promote 'rites' of soviet bureaucracy, sharing the attitudes on the institutional guidelines and 'know how' practices, which are represented as strategies of sucess (prioritisation of development plans, implementation, dealing with Brussels). All that reflect their reactions to the uncertainty and diversity of postsocialist period.

This perspective of 'nostalgia' is based on different sources, including interviews with former officials, their memoirs, media and archival materials.