| IS[R]A NEWSLETTER, December 2005 |
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CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT Underground Publishing and the Public Sphere July 2006 Berlin, Germany The Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, the Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung and the Historical Seminar of the University of Zürich will jointly hold a conference on Underground Publishing and the Public Sphere. We invite international scholars to present original research relating to the subject in July, 2006, at WZB, Berlin. The conference will consist of key-lectures, panels presenting original research, and a concluding round table. http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/termine/id=4344 VOLUNTEERS WANTED Students of the humanities and social sciences are invited to help with the compilation of biographical and bibliographical commentary concerning foreign names, emigrants from the USSR, Western institutions and texts for the following project: INTERNATIONAL PROJECT ON THE CHRONICLE OF CURRENT EVENTS PUBLICATION The Chronicle of Current Events, an informational bulletin produced by Moscow human-rights activists, was the only authoritative, long-running unofficial news publication in the USSR. The Chronicle today offers a rare type of documentation for students of the history of this totalitarian system. Moreover, the Chronicle represents a key source for analysis of international relations during the era of the Cold War, when Soviet dissidence caught the attention of Western observers and human rights became a key component of international policies. The Chronicle recorded both the rise of dissident hopes on favorable international political waves and the subsequent sacrifice of dissident concerns for political expediency. At the same time, a striking feature of the Soviet dissident movement reflected in the Chronicle was the solidarity of persecuted individuals in the USSR – writers, artists, physicists, mathematicians, historians, and human rights activists came together in this forum, which helped prevent the Soviet regime from dealing with its “undesirables” in secret. The shared values of freedom of expression and respect for individual rights, as well as the personal sympathy and concern for fellows that brought people together in the Chronicle helped destroy many old and unhealthy political standards operating in the Soviet (and not only Soviet) system. The amount of information found in the Chronicle is astounding. In 60-odd issues more than 12,000 names appear. Among them are many Western scholars and cultural figures, social activists, journalists, religious thinkers and politicians. The pages of the bulletin record translations of foreign essays and literature circulated in samizdat. Dozens of publications from the Western press are cited. One finds here also names of hundreds of international and foreign organizations (both governmental and non-governmental). The project organizers International Historical-Enlightenment Human Rights and Humanitarian Society Memorial (Moscow, Russia) and Research Center for East European Studies (Germany) in cooperation with Open Society Archives invite students of the humanities and social sciences to take advantage of this rich store of historical information and gain valuable research experience. We are looking for assistance with the compilation of biographical and bibliographical commentary concerning foreign names, emigrants from the USSR, Western institutions and texts. The field of possible collaboration is wide and we will be pleased to help design projects for those interested in various aspects of Twentieth century history relevant to preparation of the Chronicle publication, including the history of Soviet counterculture, human rights movements, religious or national organizations in the USSR, and etc. Collaborators with Russian language skills are sought (and participation in the project could form a meaningful part of a language practice), although communication can be conducted in English. Project coordinators: Russia Julia Vsevolodovna, phone (095) 209-78-83, (1-3 p.m. weekdays) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it North America: Ann Komaromi, University of Toronto, phone (416) 585-4575 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |