Date and Time:
Thursday, March 6, 2025, 16:00-19:30 (CET)
Venue:
ABF Stockholm, Sveavägen 41
The event will also be streamed online
Save the date for the seminar “Shaping the Past – Decolonization and Memory Struggles in Russia”!
Organized by Historians without Borders in Finland, this event explores how history in and around Russia is shaped, contested, and reclaimed, focusing on decolonization, memory politics, and the agency of historians. Experts will discuss how state-driven memory policies influence public perceptions of the past and examine strategies to resist historical manipulation. Through two panel discussions, participants will explore the roles of borderlands and suppressed voices, as well as strategies for countering political distortions and defending independent research and public history.
You’re warmly welcome!
Pre-registration for the event is required. The registration form for the event will be opened during February. Additional information on the programme and speakers as well as the registration form will be updated to this event page.
The event is a part of History in Exile: Dialogue on Russian Memory and History Politics in the Nordic and Baltic Countries, a project launched by Historians without Borders in Finland and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The project focuses on dialogue with historians and history teachers in the Nordics and Baltics on Russian history and memory politics.
Programme:
16:00-17:30 Panel 1: "Decentring Dominant Historical Narratives in and around Russia – Decolonization, Borderlands, and People"
This panel explores how historical narratives in and around Russia have been shaped by imperial legacies and power structures, often marginalizing borderland regions and minority perspectives. Bringing together scholars working on decolonization, transnational histories, and local memory practices, the discussion will highlight alternative frameworks that challenge dominant state-centered interpretations.
17:30-18:00 Coffee break
18:00-19:30 Panel 2: "Historians’ Response to Memory Manipulations: How to Win the Battle for the Past?"
This panel examines how historians can counteract political manipulations of history and resist the instrumentalization of the past. Participants will discuss strategies for engaging the public, challenging historical distortions, and maintaining academic integrity in the face of propaganda and censorship. The discussion will explore concrete examples of memory politics in Russia and beyond, highlighting ways to defend history in an era of disinformation.
Additional information:
Historians without Borders in Finland
hix@hwb.fi
www.historianswithoutborders.fi
