Contested Legacies of the Past and Politics of Memory in the Baltic Region

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel aims to discuss the politics of memory, historically rooted in contested legacies, especially the experience of WWII, as a common phenomenon after the restoration of independence in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In the post-independent period, they underwent a multipronged transition to national sovereignty, neoliberal democracy, and capitalism, according to Western values and norms. Their transition includes the orientation of Europeanization and de-Sovietization. The Baltic political elites constructed memory narratives that Baltic states were victims of two totalitarianisms, i.e., Nazi and Soviet ones and therefore, still vulnerable due to the fear of Russian imperialism and potential expansionism. Thus, history and collective memory became important elements in the politics of memory in their national liberation, shaping a national identity based on European sameness and Russian otherness, nation-building process, and commemoration practices. The dominant memory narratives by political elites and the existence of ethnic divide of narratives in historical experiences in society have internal and external implications. The “double genocide” theory aligned with the state’s narrative of the Holocaust and Soviet expectation in memory politics causes the suppression of the experiences of minorities. Defining Russia as an adversary based on the memory of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, loss of sovereignty, and bitter experiences under Soviet occupation remain a factor in the Baltic's strained relationship with Russia. Against this backdrop, this panel discusses how memory and history become sources of politics in shaping national identity and Russian policy and the “double genocide” perspective in memory sites and narratives.

Sub Unit

• International Relations, Security Studies, Foreign Policy

Chair

• Usha K B, Jawaharlal Nehru U (India)

Papers

• Politics of History and Memory in Shaping National Identity - Usha K B, Jawaharlal Nehru U (India)

• Memory as Policy: Historical Narratives and Their Role in Shaping Baltic Strategies Towards Russia - Anoop Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru U (India)

• Memory Politics in Lithuania: 'Double Genocide' Perspective in Memory Sites and Narratives - Gifty Ann Babu, Jawaharlal Nehru U (India)

Discussant

• Vaida Kamuntaviciene, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)