Date:
Location:
Félix Krawatzek, Senior Research Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS), Berlin
George Soroka, Lecturer on Government and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, Harvard Government Department
Moderated by Emily Channell-Justice, Director, Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, HURI
Introductory remarks by Kira Rudik, member of the Ukrainian Parliament
Online event
Register for Zoom or watch on YouTube
Abstract
Battlefield confrontations are only one element of the war in Ukraine. This conflict also concerns historical interpretations and monuments to the past. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has employed historical references adjusted to his diverse audiences abroad as well as in addresses to the Ukrainian people. Through such references, Zelensky has framed the war against Russia as one where the European – and, for some, Western – achievements of the post-1945 world order must be defended. Appeals to the cosmopolitan norm of Holocaust remembrance, the urge to live-up to the “Never Again” sentiment, have put pressure on Western actors and in some cases have provided strong rationales for delivering weapons to Ukraine and imposing far-reaching sanctions on Russia.
This talk will assess Zelensky’s use of history and discuss the logic of historical reference in the context of what society takes to be true about history. Drawing on original survey data generated in January 2021, we assess the historical attitudes that prevailed in Ukraine before the full-scale war to provide a baseline and help us think through the impact of the war on Ukrainian identity and belonging as expressed through history.
About the Speakers
|
Félix Krawatzek (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin. He is also an Associate Member of Nuffield College and Principal Investigator on the five-year ERC-funded research project “Moving Russia(ns): Intergenerational Transmission of Memories Abroad and at Home” (MoveMeRU). His research focuses on post-Soviet politics and European politics more broadly and in particular the role of youth in politics, the significance of historical representation in political processes and questions related to migration and transnationalism. |
|
George Soroka received his PhD in Political Science from Harvard University in 2014. He also holds two prior master's degrees (in religious studies and Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, respectively). Currently he is Lecturer on Government and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Government Department at Harvard. Geographically, his research focuses primarily on the post-communist region, specifically the countries of Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. Thematically, he is mainly interested in memory politics and how they inform intra- as well as inter-state relations, although he has also worked on regional security issues and the politics of religion. His recent work has been published in a variety of outlets, including the Journal of Democracy, Foreign Affairs, Problems of Post-Communism, and East European Politics and Societies. |
Moderated by Emily Channell-Justice, Director, Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, HURI
───◊───
Persons with disabilities who wish to request accommodations or who have questions about access, please contact Megan Duncan Smith, HURI Programs Coordinator, at duncansmith@fas.harvard.edu in advance of the session (at least two weeks prior, if possible).
Watch videos of past HURI events on our YouTube Channel and subscribe to our email list to receive announcements about events and other activities.