Between Democracy and Chaos: The 1990s in Political and Cultural Memory in Central and Eastern Europe

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The 1990s were a pivotal decade in the history of Central and Eastern Europe. Often remembered as a time of instability, weakening state authority, imperial decline, and profound societal upheaval, the period remains deeply ingrained in public consciousness. At the same time, it was also a moment of transformation, democratization, and relative freedom—both in political choice and expression—following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In democratic states, the decade is often framed as a period of transition and progress, while in post-Soviet autocracies, it is depicted as an era of chaos and decline. These contrasting narratives have been reinforced through political discourse, cultural production, and historical memory, shaping contemporary understandings of the post-communist experience.
This panel will explore how the 1990s are constructed and reproduced in political, cultural, and social discourse across Central and Eastern Europe. Bringing together diverse perspectives from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and the broader Baltic region, panelists will examine how this era is mobilized in public debate, intellectual discourse, and collective memory.

Sub Unit

• History: Since 1990

Chair

• Tatsiana Kulakevich, U of South Florida

Papers

• Lithuania's Crossroads in the 1990s: The Influence of G. Soros, Diaspora, and Former Communists - Rustis Kamuntavicius, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)

• The Heroic 90s: The Triumph of the Polish Intelligentsia after 1989 and its Legitimization by Historical Discourses - Tomasz Zarycki, U of Warsaw (Poland)

• The Language of Russian War Films and the Transformation of Russian Culture: the 1990s to the Present - Izabela Kalinowska-Blackwood, SUNY Stony Brook

• Chaos and Freedom: The 1990s in Political Discourse and Cultural Memory in Belarus - Anton Saifullayeu, U of Warsaw (Poland)

Discussant

• Tatsiana Astrouskaya, Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe (Germany)