Pushkin and Putin. On the role of culture in modern-day Russia
11. Nov
Drawing on examples from classical literature and contemporary popular culture, Zaal Andronikashvili and Matthias Schwartz discuss the different dynamics and perspectives shaping Russian culture in times of war. The discussion will be moderated by Maud Meyzaud.
Date: 11 Nov 2026, 7:30–9 p.m.
Place: Heinrich-Heine-Haus | Am Ochsenmarkt 1a | 21335 Lüneburg
Event in German
Zaal Andronikashvili | Matthias Schwartz, Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung, Berlin | Maud Meyzaud, LIAS Co-Director (moderation)
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the imperial dimensions of Russian culture, and literature in particular, have increasingly become a subject of public debate in Germany. How does the state instrumentalise the arts for its imperial ambitions? What responsibility do intellectuals and artists themselves bear? Which traditions of imperial categories of knowledge and systems of order can be traced back to the 19th century, for example with regard to the Caucasus? How were these cultural hierarchies between centre and periphery organised within the Soviet Union under the banner of national diversity and equality? Which colonial legacies continue to play a central role in the war today?