Examines the ideology of sacrifice in Soviet and post-Soviet culture, analyzing a range of fictional and real-life figures who became part of a pantheon of "heroes" primarily because of their victimhood.

Introduction
Werewolves, Vampires, and the "Sacred Wo/men" of Soviet Discourse in Pravda and beyond in the 1930s and 1940s
Drawing Borders in the Sky: Pirates and Damsels in Distress of Aerial Hijackings in Soviet Press, Literature, and Film
Our Man in Chile, or Victor Jara's Posthumous Life in Soviet Media and Popular Culture
Fathers, Sons, and the Imperial Spirit: The Wartime Homo Sacer's Competitive Victimhood
Robber Baron or Dissident Intellectual: The Businessman Hero at the Crossroads of History
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index