The conference explores the diverse intersections of culture, activism, and power across Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the broader Eurasian region. Through keynote lectures, panel discussions, and paper presentations, it examines contemporary social, political, and cultural divisions unfolding within these varied contexts.
Keynotes:
Professor Nana Sharikadze will reflect on her study on the colonisation and decolonisation of Georgian music.
Dr. Connor Doak focuses on Russophone anti-war poetry in Russia, exploring the power of literary expression as a form of dissent.
Professor Sanna Turoma will hold the keynote at the doctoral pre-conference.
Culture serves as a means of civic activism and as an instrument for reinforcing state authority. Visual arts, literature, sport, and religion have historically been associated with promoting national unity, but contemporary debates marked by notions such as ‘culture wars’ and ‘soft power’ demonstrate how culture increasingly functions as a site of divisions within society, or between state and society, as well as international competition. This conference examines the contested deployment of art and culture across diverse actors and political settings.
In contexts marked by authoritarian governance, democratic backsliding, or populist dominance, also in the so-called West, cultural practices acquire heightened significance as arenas of political expression. Governments mobilise culture to reinforce state narratives, cultivate ideological cohesion, and project unity. At the same time, underground music, literature, poetry, performance art, political theatre, and even critical graffiti provide spaces for articulating dissent, building networks, and sustaining emotional and spiritual resilience. Such practices may also give rise to broader resistance movements, as seen in contemporary Russia and beyond.
Call for Papers & Panels: We invite proposals for papers and panels that examine how culture and activism intersect with power, governance, and state–society relations across diverse geographical and political contexts. While particular interest is directed toward Russia, the former Soviet states, and Eastern Europe, proposals focusing on other regions are equally welcome.
Proposals should include the title, the name and position (such as project or doctoral thesis title) of the researcher(s), and an abstract of no more than 200 words. Send your proposal to uef-bomocult@uef.fi no later than 26 April 2026. The deadline for registration is 10 May 2026.
For the full CfP, visit the website.
Organisers: VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies & Borders Mobilities and Cultural Encounters (BOMOCULT) Research Community, University of Eastern Finland
- Ilmoituksen tyyppi:
- Esitelmäpyyntö
- Vanhenee:
- Yhteyshenkilö nimi:
- Joni Virkkunen
- Yhteyshenkilö sähköposti:
- Verkkosivut:
- Avaa verkkosivut