Discussion for the most part in German

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was accompanied by a historical rhetoric replete with references to World War II. But even before February 2022, it was possible to observe how historical narratives were being radically rewritten in many countries of the former Soviet Union. This development can be seen in the context of the current political shifts taking place in these countries. In Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, history is being appropriated for the nation with the support of different political and societal actors. As well as shaping the respective self-image of these societies, this change is key to understanding the dynamics between these three countries as well as the war in Ukraine. The forum discussion will explore these aspects at different levels, looking at societal, political and cultural processes.

• Kateryna Mishchenko is a writer, curator, and co-founder of Medusa, an independent Ukrainian publisher. She has taught literature at Kyiv National Linguistic University and worked as a translator in the area of human rights.
• Aliaksei Bratachkin is a historian and head of the Public History programme at the European College of Liberal Arts in Belarus. He is currently a guest lecturer at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder).
• Félix Krawatzek is a Senior Researcher at ZOiS, where he heads the research cluster Youth in Eastern Europe.
• Matthias Schwartz is deputy director of the ZfL, where he heads the program area World Literature and the project World Fiction Post/Socialist. Eastern European Literatures and Cultures.
• Moderation: Nina Weller is a slavicist and literary scholar.

Anja Krüger
Communications Coordinator
events(at)zois-berlin.de