About the Lecture: Russian President Vladimir Putin prefaced his attack on Ukraine with an article and a lecture on history, aiming to justify his decision. One of the first propaganda slogans of 2022 in Russia was “we had no other choice”, reinforcing a singular, predetermined vision of the past. However, contemporary historical scholarship emphasizes the dialogical nature of history: the past responds to the questions posed by the present. History consists of multiple perspectives. Politicians and political activists almost universally select the version of history that best serves their goals. They also use historical narratives as a language of politics. Historians, in contrast, seek to warn society about the dangers of such instrumentalization. While Russia’s recent past provides many striking examples, similar patterns can be observed in its European neighbors and in the United States. In this lecture, we will explore the meaning of history and how politicians manipulate the past, examining history textbooks, the construction and removal of monuments, and memory laws.
About the Speaker: Professor Ivan Kurilla has taught at Volgograd State University and the European University at St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2024, he lost his position due to his opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine. In the spring of 2025, he is teaching at Wellesley College. Kurilla’s primary research interests include the history of U.S.-Russian relations and the role of history in contemporary societies, with a focus on historical memory, the political use of history, and the impact of historical narratives on modern society. His work has been published in leading Russian and international academic journals. His most recent books include: (in English): David S. Foglesong, Ivan Kurilla, Victoria I. Zhuravleva, Distant Friends and Intimate Enemies: History of Russian-American Relations (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming) Kurilla Ivan (ed.) Carl W. Ackerman, Trailing the Bolsheviki: Twelve Thousand Miles with the Allies in Siberia (Slavica, 2020); Kurilla, Ivan and Zhuravleva, Victoria I. (eds.). Russian/Soviet Studies in the United States, Amerikanistika in Russia: Mutual Representations in Academic Projects. (Lexington, 2016). (in Russian): Amerikantsy i vse ostalnye: Istoki i smysl vneshney politiki SShA (Americans and all the rest: Origin and meaning of the U.S. foreign policy). Alpina, 2024; Bitva za proshloe: Kak politika menyaet istoriyu (Battle for the Past: How Politics Changes History), Alpina, 2022; Istoriya, ili Proshloe v nastoyashchem (History, or the Past in Present), EU press, 2017; Zaklyatye druzia: Istoriya mneniy, fantazii, kontaktov, vzaimo(ne)ponimania Rossii i SShA (Frenemies: History of opinions, phantasies, contacts, mutual (mis)understanding of Russia and the USA), NLO, 2018.
This event is co-sponsored by the Alice D. Mortenson/Petrovich Distinguished Chair of Russian History and is also part of the CREECA lecture series, which is held on Thursdays at 4:00 pm. Coffee, tea, and cookies served starting at 3:45.