Old Roads and New Routes: Exploring Ethnographic Perspectives on Geopolitical Shifts in Eastern Europe

Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many have argued that the current war will finally end the post-Soviet condition. Only time will tell if this war marks another “post” era in the region, which has until now been understood through the lens of “post-socialist transition”. Nevertheless, the present in the wider region of Eastern Europe seems to be shaped by the sense that the future is being made now. Such an engagement with the future seems to also have a clear spatial expression in the countries hovered between the EU and Russia -- or “between the East and West”, as often described -- in both geographical and geo/political terms. This workshop brings together anthropologists working on the region to discuss the ways in which the material and/or ideational remnants of the past, alongside the emerging and desired means of connections, affect people’s imagined futures and shape their presents.

Convened by Dr Giorgi Cheishvili (REES, Georgian Program)

No registration required

All are welcome