Russian conflicts about (non)memory

Numerous people and independent circles in Russia fight for proud memory of the Soviet regime victims. Is it possible to put together, in Russian circumstances, the imperial vision of history and the remembrance for totalitarian regime victims? What is the authority’s and society’s approach towards the past? These are some of the questions answered by our guests: Zuzanna Bogumił and Sergey Parchomienko. The meeting was moderated by Maciej Wyrwa.

We invite you to watch the video of the meeting:

Zuzanna Bogumił -  an associate professor of The Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw. In the past she studied the remembrance of GULAG in Russia and the meaning of historical exhibitions in the Central-Eastern Europe. Currently she studies the influence of religion and religious representations on the 20th century memory within a project of the National Science Centre “Milieux de Mémoire in the Central and Eastern Europe – illustrated with an example of Poland”. She published “Pamięć Gułagu” (2012). She is also a co-author of a book „The Enemy on Display: The Second World War in Eastern European Museums” (2015).

Sergey Parkhomenko – a Russian publisher, publicist and political commentator. He’s one of founders of “Segodnia” (Today) newspaper. He’s an editor-in-chief of a magazine Itogi (Summing Up), a news magazine Yezhenedelnyi zhournal (Weekly Magazine) and “Vokrug sveta” publishing house. He hosts a political talk show Sut’ Sobytiy (Crux of the Matter), which is aired on the radio Echo of Moscow. Currently he is a Public Policy Fellow in the Kennan Institute (Washington, US). He’s a co-founder of a project “Dissernet” the aim of which is to purify the Russian science from plagiarism. He is one of initiators of a project “Last address”. It is a civic initiative founded to commemorate the victims of political repressions and state tyranny of the Soviet era.

Maciej Wyrwa – works as an expert in The Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding He has obtained a research doctorate in history. He graduated from the international relations course with the specialisation in Eastern studies at the Faculty of History, The Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. He specializes in the history of Soviet repressions, the history of Polish diaspora in Russia and post-Soviet states and the concept of historical memory. He is the author of book “Nieodnalezione ofiary Katynia? Lista osób zaginionych na obszarze północno-wschodnich województw II RP od 17 września 1939 do czerwca 1940” and several scientific and popular scientific publications in the field of history and international relations.