Tatsiana Astrouskaya attends the Seminar day in Tartu, November 18, 2024
On November 18, a seminar day titled “Is it dangerous to learn history? The example of Belarus” will take place at the National Archives of Estonia in Tartu. The event will discuss, using the example of Belarus, how historical writing is shaped in an undemocratic country. The seminar is open to history teachers, students, historians, and anyone interested in history. All discussions will be held in English.
The first part of the seminar will offer a quick overview of the history of Belarus. The focus will be on examining which facts and approaches have been declared taboo and removed from history textbooks.
In the second part of the seminar, the discussion will center on why neutral, fact-based historical analysis is considered so dangerous in undemocratic regimes that it can even lead to imprisonment. The exploration will include the goals behind turning history education into a tool of political propaganda.
13.30 Greetings from Priit Pirsko, National Archivist and Alina Kouchyk, United Transitional Cabinet Representative for National Revival.
Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya will also participate in the event.
Panel I — 13:30–15:00
Moderator: Karsten Brüggemann
Coffee Break — 15:00–15:30
Panel II — 15:30–17:00
Moderator: Indrek Tarand
The seminar day will take place at the Noora building of the National Archives (Nooruse 3, Tartu). The event is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Archives of Estonia.