Tatsiana Astrouskaya bei der ASEEES Convention 2025

Das Panel "Legacies of Resistance: Memory and Dissent from the Soviet Era to Today" findet am Sonntag, 23. November 2025 statt.
 

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.

Tatsiana Austrouskaya hält einen von vier Vortägen.

'As 500 years ago, Truth and Justice Stand with Us': Belarusian Dissent Between Memory and Mobilization

The history of Soviet Belarusian dissent has received relatively little scholarly attention, both domestically and internationally. When discussed, this history has often been framed through Cold War-era knowledge regimes that emphasize heroic resistance to the Soviet state, and privileging political opposition over the diverse forms of cultural dissent. This framework often overlooked local specificities and alternative modes of resistance. This paper explores how this knowledge framework has shaped both the popular and scientific perception of contemporary dissent in Belarus. I am interested in how historical and ongoing (post-2020) practices of cultural resistance to authoritarianism intersect. Does contemporary dissent draw on historical precedents, if so, which events and figures are regarded as the most relevant? Conversely, how do present-day events reshape our understanding of the history of dissent in Belarus?