Replaying the Second World War?: The Soviet Inspirations for Russian Atrocities in Ukraine Today | Thursdays at DBK - Instytut Pileckiego

In his talk, he will discuss the key role that the Russian historical memory of the Second World War plays in the narratives of the country’s leaders and state media. These descriptions are used alongside rhetoric of “denazification” to justify aggression against Ukraine and the dehumanization of its citizens. Drawing on material from his forthcoming book, Dr. Drachewych will show how the memory of the Second World War influences Russia’s contemporary actions in Ukraine. He will highlight echoes of the Soviet past evident in the policies implemented and crimes committed by Russian forces during the invasion. He will cite examples of tactics inspired by the actions of the USSR during and after the Second World War, such as the institutional memory of the Russian armed forces and security services and the parallel practices of dehumanizing Ukrainians. Such actions lead to war crimes similar to those committed by the Red Army and NKVD in Central and Eastern Europe between 1939 and 1950.

 

Dr. Drachewych’s lecture will be of interest to the Polish audience, as well as to scholars and specialists studying totalitarian crimes in both a historical and a contemporary context.

 

The meeting will be held in English, and will not be translated into Polish.

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Gallery of the Pilecki Institute at Dom Bez Kantów 
Krakowskie Przedmieście 11 street
December 12, 2024 (Thursday) - 18:00-19:30