Event calendar

We have the pleasure to inform you about an interdisciplinary conference in memory studies that is organized by Nordic Network in Memory Studies and held at Lund University in Lund, Sweden 14-16 May 2012.

 We hope that the conference will generate discussions about the state of the art in Memory Studies as well as the future of the research in the field. How can we consolidate Memory Studies? What kind of new directions within the field we can identify today?

We would also like to involve you in the discussion on the idea of «European Memory», what it is and how it relates to the memories of nations, regions, migrant communities and the world outside Europe. Drawing on recent theoretical insights pointing to the importance of memory migration and mediation, the influence of new media, changing cultural contexts, and memory as a source of transcultural ethics, the conference will explore how memory works as a transcultural and transnational force, mainly but not solely in Europe.

We welcome papers that aim to explore the tension between attempts by European cultural and political elites to create some form of common European memory or at least a unitary memory ethos on one hand and numerous «memory conflicts», caused by divided and contested memories of oppression and violence on the other. Understanding the conflict-provoking potential of this memory legacy and exploring how it may be managed in a reconciliatory fashion constitute an acute challenge to interdisciplinary Memory Studies.

We are convinced that the future of Memory Studies lies in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation, however difficult such an endeavor might be. Hence we warmly welcome to our conference scholars from different disciplines – the humanities, political and social sciences (including psychology and communication studies), history, etc.

Conference Chair: Barbara Törnquist-Plewa (e-mail: Barbara.Tornquist-Plewa@slav.lu.se)

Conference Coordinator: Niklas Bernsand (e-mail: Niklas.Bernsand@slav.lu.se)

The exhibition “Childhood in captivity: the fate of children taken away in Latvia, 1943-1944” is prepared by “Historical memory” Foundation and The State central museum of contemporary history of Russia within the framework of the common program of the Belorussian Peace Foundation and the German Fund “Memory, Responsibility and Future” - “Raisin the status of the former inhabitants of burned Belorussian villages”.

First time in Moscow the unique and unknown illustrations of the fate of children, victims of punitive operations on the North-West of USSR during the Great Patriotic war has been offered to the attention of visitors. Nazi punitive operations took place in 1943-1944 in the border area of Russia, Belarus and Latvia. Their striking forces consisted mainly from Latvian collaborator’s units. The goal of those actions was the belt of “scorched earth”: villages were burned; people were executed or taken away as forced labors in Latvia or Germany. Due to these operations thousands of minor children, -Russian, Belorussian, Polish, - were deported in Latvia. They were separated with their parents and remained in extremely heavy conditions in concentration camp Salaspils. Then they were working for Latvian farmers. The exhibition “Childhood in captivity” is made in memory of those victims, died in this tragedy, as well as of those who stayed alive.

At the exhibition you may see the videos with eyewitnesses of the events, collected by the “Historical memory” Foundation in Latvia, Belarus and Russia, unknown pictures and newsreel from the Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings and private collections.

The exhibition is opened in The State central museum of contemporary history of Russia from 19th of January to 15th of February.

The history of European foreign relations in the 1930s is the field of interests of many researchers. But the reach historiography on this subject lacks some important things. With few exceptions historians confine themselves to the “national history” and often are restricted to the methodology of the direction they following. They lack interdisciplinarity and this makes their positions incomplete. And the necessity of cross-disciplinary researches is obvious when it concern such questions as history, international law, political sciences etc.

The present conference is organized by “Historical Memory” Foundation and by the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. A key feature of the seminar is its goal to surmount the special concept of “national” historiography, to bring together researchers involved in the seminar’s topic from different countries of the World and to promote the interdisciplinary studies of the foreign relations in Europe during the pre-war period. Within the seminar’s framework following goals are planned to be achieved: to define the base of sources of the history of foreign relations in the 1930s, to present the most recent researches on this topic, including those concerning the foreign affaires of East-European countries of above-mentioned period, the problems of boards in the context of public law current at that time, the external policy of European states and the onset of World War II.

For contacts: Olesya Orlenko (alice.orlenko@gmail.com)
 

The conference is organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of General History, the Academicals Educational Association of Humanitarian sciences and The National Committee of Russian historians. The dates of the event are 15th-16th of November.

The history and the memory about the past are becoming more and more important in the modern society. Unfortunately, Klio is exploited for political gain very often. The professional historian acting at the best as an invisible breather in dramatic, sometimes farcical political discourse. But mostly he is a simple spectator in the back row. It’s not the special feature of Russia or Post-soviet space; we can find this tendency in Europe and all over the World.

The goal of the conference is to pave the way to mutual understanding between modern society and historical community as well as to find an answer to the following questions: is there a dialog in this field? Can professional historians break up the mythologizing of History by society? Can a historian be more important for social minds then a writer of political essays? Can History be interesting, involving and useful for society without loosing its academicals frames?

Organizing committee: Еmail: densek@mail.ru, tel. +7(495)938-00-87; +7(495)938-58-95; +7(495)938-58-95.
 

The seminar is organized by the Institute of CIS Countries and “Historical Memory” Foundation and will take place in the Institute of CIS Countries. The main issues are following: the last parliamentary elections results, the formation of the new Coalition Government, Latvian - Russian and Latvian - CIS actual economic development opportunities (analytical discussion). The attendees are historians and political scientists from Moscow working on the problems of the Baltic Region. The experts from Latvia are also invited to the seminar.

The date of the seminar is October 29th , at 15h00.

Address: Staromonetniy per 10, 1st floor. Metro stations are “Tratyakovskaya”, “Polyanka”.

Contact name: PhD (political science) Mikhail Vladimirovitch Alexandrov, head of Baltic department of the Institute of CIS, (е-mail: ellab@list.ru),

phone numbers +7(903)529-7661, +7(495)959-3451(52), fax +7(495)959-3449.
 

An international conference “Divided Eastern Europe: borders and population transfer, 1938 – 1947” 2 – 3 of September, 2010, Lviv

The conference is focused on national border changes in Eastern Europe during the period from 1938 to 1947: population transfer as a result of foreign and domestic political considerations, interethnic relationships and ethnic purges of paramilitary units; the concept of self- perception of people living on frontiers forced to change their national and civil status; the problems of modern East European borders.

Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, English.

Download: Divided Eastern Europe

"Historical memory" Foundation organize a conference “The War Of Extermination:The Nazi Genocide In Eastern Europe” which will take place from 26th to 28th of April 2010. Lead historians from Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Western Europe and USA are expected to participate in the conference. The conference is going to touch upon the scientific understanding of the Nazi “war of extermination”. Withing the framework of the event is planed the opening of the exhibition "To destiroy as much as possible: Nazi genocide policy in the occupied territory of USSR".

Download: preliminary program

"Historical memory" Foundation is taking part in Moscow 11th International Non-Fiction Book Fair. We invite you to visit our stand № 17-5 on the second floor. You will find there our books at the price of publishers.

The 2nd of December, on the Foundation’s first anniversary, the press conference organized within the framework of the Book Fair, will summarize the year results and will present new books.

The II International Conference "History of Stalinism: Russia's repressed province will take place in Smolensk State University.

This conference covers various aspects of formation, development and implementation (specific actions) of repressive policy of the State primarily on the regional level. The participants are experts in the Soviet period of the Russian history. Attention will be given to methodological problems, traditional and new approaches to the study of the Soviet totalitarian regime and its repressive practices. Participants will also take part in the discussion of popularization features of scientific achievements in the filed of repressions’ study and interpretation problems of repression history in secondary and higher education institution courses of modern Russia.

For further information about the conference program and participation conditions please consult ROSSPEN publishing house website www.rosspen.su/ru/stalin2/programma2/