Notre Drame? Whom to blame and whom to grieve about when a cathedral dies

Abstract

The article focuses on the reaction of Russian-speaking and Francophone audiences to the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral. The author explores alternative versions of the fire and manifestations of “opposition grief”. Unsatisfied with the official explanation of the incident (an accidental fire), the carriers of the alternative versions found meaning in the disaster using the languages of conspiracy theories and religion. The bearers of “opposition grief” tried to challenge the dramatic status assigned to the fire by politicians, large media and millions of ordinary users collectively mourning online and offline. The “opponents” offered alternative objects of empathy and help and alternative definitions of national or world drama. Analyzing such statements, the author notes that the attention of the media, the willingness of governments and big corporations to help the victim of the disaster are perceived by the “opposition” as a valuable resource that should be redistributed, that is, taken away from the cathedral and spent on other, more worthy objects. The role of these “alternative objects” can be played by other monuments, disadvantaged compatriots or residents of the Third World countries suffering from poverty. In any case, the “opposition grief” statements are based on the same model: “the real drama is X, emotions and money should not be spent on Notre Dame but on X”.