Legacies of Resistance: Memory and Dissent from the Soviet Era to Today

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel examines the legacies of dissent and rights activism across the Soviet Union and its successor states, spanning from the mid-20th century to the present day. It examines how memories of resistance during the Soviet era – from the Khrushchev Thaw through the Brezhnev stagnation and into the period of perestroika – are constructed and deployed in contemporary contexts. The panel explores the roles of key figures and movements, such as the shistdesiatnyky, alongside the experiences of lesser-known activists who formed informal networks and engaged in everyday forms of resistance. By analyzing memoirs, historical accounts, and contemporary mobilizations, the panel investigates how these histories are used to legitimize power, challenge authoritarianism, and contribute to national identity formation in the post-Soviet world. It addresses the complexities of remembering and interpreting Soviet-era dissent, including the influence of geography, genre, language, and gender on whose voices are heard and which stories are told, highlighting the continuing relevance of these struggles in the 21st century.

Sub Unit

• History: 1945-1990

Chair

• Roman Tashlitskyy, U of Toronto (Canada)

Papers

• Forgotten Fathers of the Fatherland: The Shistdesiatnyky and Their Legacy in Independent Ukraine - Simone Attilio Bellezza, U of Eastern Piedmont (Italy)

• 'As 500 years ago, Truth and Justice Stand with Us': Belarusian Dissent Between Memory and Mobilization - Tatsiana Astrouskaya, Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe (Germany)

• Beyond the Spotlight: Informal Networks and Everyday Dissent in 1960s-1970s Soviet Ukraine - Roman Tashlitskyy, U of Toronto (Canada)

• Dissident Memoirs: Geography, Genre, Language, Format - Ann Komaromi, U of Toronto (Canada)

Discussant

• Benjamin I Nathans, U of Pennsylvania