On September 4-5 we organize a seminar on the joint and parallel histories of Russia and Ukraine. The seminar is organised in cooperation with the German Historical Institute, the University of Helsinki and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. We wish to facilitate discussion on difficult issues, help the participants to understand different viewpoints and help create a base for deeper cooperation between the two countries in the future.
The first meeting of Ukrainian and Russian historians was held in Helsinki in January 2017. Meeting focused on the common and parallel histories and historiography of Ukraine and Russia in the 20th century. Purpose of this meeting was to lay a foundation for a more permanent dialogue process. After the meeting both parties agreed that discussion on history is necessary and should be continued and extended.
In September we wish to continue the history dialogue process with a broader participant base.
We want to provide an opportunity for an open discussion in a neutral environment, help the participants to better understand each other’s points of view, and lessen the possibilities for the use of history as an instrument in aggravating and fostering conflicts
The seminar will work in join plenary sessions and smaller workshop discussions. We will focus especially on open exchange of ideas and dialogue between the participants. On Tuesday afternoon all participants will gather in a closing plenary and agree on the next steps in the dialogue process.
Anyone interested in the dialogue process is welcome to join us on the closing panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon. Information on the time, venue and registration will be released at a later date.
