Postcards of the Siege: Propaganda, Art, and Total War in Leningrad

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

This roundtable focuses on “Postcards of the Siege,” an NEH-funded digital humanities project that presents and interprets over 600 postcards published during the Leningrad Blockade (1941–1944). To understand why essential resources were devoted to postcards in the catastrophic conditions of mass starvation, nonfunctional infrastructure, and persistent bombardment, the project explores the many roles of these artifacts—as a particularly accessible form of visual propaganda, as the means to sustain ties in a time of prolonged isolation, as striking works of art, and as a path to survival for their creators.

The project is primarily centered on digital stories offering interpretations of specific postcards and themes, as well as the personal stories of some artists and editors involved in postcard production. These illustrated, easily digestible pieces are supplemented by pages that offer contextual information about the history of the siege and the process of postcard production, and a full gallery that allows users to engage with and appreciate these postcards as unique visual works.

In this roundtable, scholars and archivists involved in the project will present some of their research findings, showcase several content pieces, reflect on the process of writing for a digital platform aimed at both students and the public audience, and discuss some classroom uses of the project.

Sub Unit

• Digital Humanities

Chair

• Brandon Schechter, Blavatnik Archive / Sarah Lawrence College

Roundtable Speakers

• Polina Barskova, UC Berkeley

• Julie Reines Chervinsky, Blavatnik Archive

• Stephen Michael Norris, Miami U of Ohio

• Brandon Schechter, Blavatnik Archive / Sarah Lawrence College