Znamya the Space ReflectorMaster Thesis
Geneva, Switzerland
2020
Znamya was a Russian satellite launched in 1993, designed to reflect the light of the sun to illuminate the earth at night. Conceived as part of the Soviet space program, Znamya's original plan projected a fleet of satellites that would allow for total control of the lighting of territory, 24 hours a day. Originally the idea was to provide extra hours of light for agriculture and illuminate cities but after two tests during the decade of the 90s, the project was discarded. I analyse the potential of Znamya in becoming a totalitarian technology for the control of public light: the sunlight reflected from Znamya projected a spotlight controlled by the power structures to illuminate the territory and show one specific scenario. The reflection of light became a medium to hijack the night and send a propagandistic message of what had to be shown and what scenarios had to be remembered. Through the repetition of this process, the light of Znamya shaped the collective memory to reinforce Soviet and Russian nationalism.