About the event

History policy, that is the formulation and propagation of selected interpretations of the past for political purposes, is rarely as dramatically topical as in the case of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Particularly the instrumentation of the "Great Patriotic War" and the remembrance of the imperial history of Russia are used to support hegemonic claims.

Also beyond the Ukraine issue, the historical narratives propagated by the Russian state are in conflict with alternative interpretations. Autonomous republics in particular also accentuate their own historical points of reference domestically; in the neighbour states, historical narratives mirror various degrees of political distance to Russia.

The panel discussion organised by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek with the support of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media addresses the question of whether historical narratives of domestic and foreign origin challenge the interpretation patterns advocated by the Russian state. Our three guests address this issue from different perspectives for Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Tatarstan.

Guests

• Dr. Nina Frieß, research associate at the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) Berlin
• Raniia Khaziakhmetova, independent scholar, graduated historian (kandidat nauk) at the Federal University of Kazan
• Prof. Dr. Alvydas Nikžentaitis, Director of the Lithuanian Institute of History in Vilnius

Moderation

Prof. Dr. Anke Hilbrenner, holder of the Chair of Eastern European History, University of Düsseldorf

Information on the event at a glance