The international conference “Soviet Spirituality”: The Phenomenon and Its Research Possibilities will be held in Riga, Latvia on June 10–11, 2021.
The conference will focus on the influence and consequences of totalitarian regimes’ ideology in intellectual, cultural and religious practices.
You are welcome to join the discussion on ‘Soviet spirituality’ (or Socialist spirituality) as a process and a result of implementing Soviet/Socialist ideology via quasi-spiritual and quasi-religious discourse and practices like new traditions to replace the traditions rooted in Christianity.
This conference is organized by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia and funded by the Latvian Council of Science, project ’Soviet Spirituality’ in Latvia: Development, Features and Models of Influence (SovCreRes), project No. lzp-2020/2-0058.
Programme
June 10
| 9.30-10.00 | Connecting to ZOOM | |
| 10.00-10.20 | Conference opening | Maija Kule, Solveiga Krumina-Konkova |
| Plenary session 1 | Moderator: Laine Kristberga | |
| 10.30-11.00 | Marianna Shakhnovich Saint Petersburg State University Russia | “Scientific atheism” as an Ideological Construct and Educational Project (1950s-1980s) |
| 11.00-11.30 | Agnieszka Halemba Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Poland | Ambient Faith and Religious Organisation in Soviet and Post-Soviet Space |
| 11.30-12.00 | Atko Remmel University of Tartu, School of Theology and Religious Studies Estonia | “Perhaps the Atheists Have Nothing to Laugh at Anymore?” The Crisis of Late Soviet Atheism in Estonian SSR |
| 12.00-12.30 | Discussion | |
| 12.30-13.00 | Break |
| Session 1. Main session room | Scientific Atheism between Anti-religious Campaigns and Fight for Spiritual Life | Moderator Mara Kiope |
| 13.00-13.30 | Ekaterina Teryukova the State Museum of the History of Religion, State Saint-Petersburg University Russia | Central Anti-Religious Museum in Moscow: from Anti-religious Propaganda to the Study of Religion |
| 13.30-14.00 | Galina Egorova Higher School of Economics Russia | Debating Atheism in the Postwar USSR |
| 14.00-14.30 | Valdis Teraudkalns University of Latvia, Faculty of Theology Latvia | “Scientific” Atheism in Soviet Latvia as a Strategic Element of Khrushchev’s Anti-religious Campaigns |
| 14.30-15.00 | Boris Filippov Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University of the Moscow Patriarchate Russia | Как разрушалась монополия «научного атеизма» в советском обществоведении / How the Monopoly of “Scientific Atheism” in Soviet Social Science was Ruined |
| 15.00-15.30 | Dalia Marija Stančienė Klaipeda University Lithuania | Religious Mentality, National Identity and the Process of Atheization in Soviet Lithuania |
| 15.30-16.00 | Discussion | |
| Session 2 Room 1 | Orthodox Church in the Era of Atheism and Soviet Spirituality | Moderator Nadezhda Pazuhina |
| 13.00-13.30 | Konstantin Obozniy St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute Russia | К вопросу о конформизме православного духовенства в СССР в 1940-70 гг. (На примере Псковской, Новгородской и Ленинградской епархий) / On the Question of the Conformism of the Orthodox Clergy in the USSR in 1940-1970. (On the Example of the Pskov, Novgorod and Leningrad Dioceses) |
| 13.30-14.00 | Alexander Kopirovskiy St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute Russia | Троице-Сергиева лавра как «живой музей»: концепция священника Павла Флоренского в контексте атеистической критики / Trinity-Sergius Lavra as a “Living Museum”: the Concept of the Priest Pavel Florensky in the Context of Atheistic Criticism |
| 14.00-14.30 | Ivan Petrov Saint Petersburg State University Russia | The Devoutness of Orthodox Russians in the Baltic Lands: 1940-1941 and 1945-1953 |
| 14.30-15.00 | Eugene Lyutko Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University of the Moscow Patriarchate Russia | The “Handbook of the Priest” (1988) and the Shape of the Soviet “Pastoral Theology” |
| 15.00-15.30 | Jana Kalnina St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute Russia | The Sermons of the Archimandrits Tavrion (Batozsky) and Sergy (Saveliev) on the Difficult Path to Spiritual Awakening in Soviet Russia in the 1960-70ies/ “Духовная борьба за возрождение человека в условиях идеологического диктата (на материале проповедей архим. Тавриона (Батозского) и архим. Сергия (Савельева) 1960-70-х гг) |
| 15.30-16.00 | Yulia Karpich Higher School of Economics Russia | Political Choice of Orthodox Believers in Russia: the Influence of Religiosity on the Conservative Political Attitudes |
| 16.30-17.00 | Discussion | |
| Session 3. Room 2 | Soviet Spiritual Life and Its Rituals | Moderator Laine Kristberga |
| 13.00-13.30 | Maria Alina Asavei Charles University of Prague Czech Republic | The Cultural Memory of the “Old Man”: Art, Politics and Spiritual Awakening in Romanian Late Communism |
| 13.30-14.00 | Liudmila Artamoshkina Saint Petersburg State University Russia | Коллективный дневник – форма биографического письма советской эпохи / Collective Diary – a Form of Biographical Writing of the Soviet Era |
| 14.00-14.30 | Oksana Klymenko National University of „Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, Department of History Ukraine | “New Soviet Man” and “Newspeak”: the case of DniproHES Workers` Memoirs (1930s)/ “Новий советский человек” и “новояз”: на примере воспоминаний рабочих Днепрогэса (1930-е гг.) |
| 14.30-15.00 | Nikon Kovalev Russian Academy of Sciences, Gorky Institute of World Literature Russia | Ритуалы советского быта в колхозных очерках Сергей Третьякова / Rituals of Soviet Life in Collective Farm Essays by Sergei Tretyakov |
| 15.00-15.30 | Anete Karlsone, University of Latvia, Institute of Latvian History Latvia | Usage of Latvian Folk Costume in Soviet Traditions and Creating the Illusion of Inheritance |
| 15.30-16.00 | Anna Tessmann Mainz University Germany | Dukhovnost´ vs Spirituality on the Verge of the Post-Soviet: Esoteric Discourses in the Late Soviet Period |
| 16.30-17.00 | Karen Nikiforov Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University Ukraine | Religion in Soviet Cinematography during the Periods of Stagnation and Perestroika: The Splendors and Miseries |
| 17.00-17.30 | Discussion |
June 11
| 9.30-10.00 | Connecting to ZOOM | |
| Plenary Session 2. | Research on the Soviet Spirituality in Latvia: The First Results of the Project | Moderator: Solveiga Krumina-Konkova |
| 10.00-10.30 | Inese Runce University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | “To Believe or Not to Believe…”. The Spiritual Experience of Soviet Youth |
| 10.30-11.00 | Mara Kiope University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | ‘Have We not Lived in Darkness?’: an Epistemological Dimension of the ‘Soviet Spirituality’ in Latvia (1964-1991) |
| 11.00-11.30 | Solveiga Krumina-Konkova University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | Between the Allowed and Forbidden – Eastern Spiritual Movements in Latvia (1960-1980) |
| 11.30-12.00 | Diana Popova University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | Explanations and Attitudes towards Superstition, Magical Thinking and Occultism in the Press of Soviet Latvia |
| 12.00-12.30 | Laine Kristberga University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | Quest for Autonomy and Spirituality: Art in Latvia in the Period of Late Socialism |
| 12.30-13.00 | Nadezhda Pazuhina University of Latvia, IPS Latvia | Everyday Religiosity as “Elsewhere” of Socialism Reality: Spoken Narratives of the Orthodox Old Believers in Latgale |
| 13.00-13.30 | Discussion | |
| 13.30-14.00 | Break | |
| Session 4. Main session room | Traditional Religiosity and Transformation Limits | Moderator Nadezhda Pazuhina |
| 14.00-14.30 | Nadezhda Belyakova, Vera Kliueva Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General History; Siberian Department, Tyumen Scientific Center Russia | Евангелики в социалистическом обществе: адаптация и / или переосмысление большого советского нарратива / Evangelicals in a Socialist Society: Adapting and / or Reimagining the Great Soviet Narrative |
| 14.30-15.00 | Maija Grizane Daugavpils University Latvia | Why are You Destroying the Child’s Soul?”: Old Believers’ Children Religiosity at Soviet Schools in Eastern Latvia |
| 15.00-15.30 | Karina Barkane-Vincane University of Latvia (Center for Judaic Studies, Institute of Latvian History, Faculty of History and Philosophy) Latvia | Between Tradition and Transformation: Maintaining Jewish Burial Practices in the Latvian SSR |
| 15.30-16.00 | Rasa Račiūnaitė-Paužuolienė Vytautas Magnus University Lithuania | Survival Strategies under the Totalitarian Regime: a Case of Catholic Nuns in Lithuania |
| 16.00-16.30 | Ugis Palo University of Latvia, Faculty of Theology Latvia | Spirituality as Soviet Baptism |
| 16.30-17.00 | Discussion | |
| Session 5. Room 1. | Soviet spirituality from the Past to the Future | Moderator Mara Kiope |
| 14.00-14.30 | Magdalena Kowalska Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Poland | Image of Socialist Spirituality and Its Role in the Formation of Adolescents in Modern Polish Bildungsroman |
| 14.30-15.00 | Tekla Svanidze LCC International University Lithuania | Paranormal belief in Post-Soviet Union. Relations with Spirituality and Religiosity |
| 15.00-15.30 | Nadezhda Gaevskaya Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia | Постпамять и практики почитания в современном мегаполисе / Post-memory and Worship Practices in the Modern Megapolis |
| 15.30-16.00 | Auguste Petre Independent scholar, curator Latvia | Post-Soviet Innerness. Tracing Past through the Oeuvre of Younger Generation Latvian Artists |
| 16.00-16.30 | Immanuel Volkonski University of Tartu, Estonia | Investigating the Soviet Religiosity: Choosing the Best Research Methodology |
| 16.30-17.00 | Discussion | |
| 17.00 | Closing of the conference |
Abstracts
The working languages of the conference will be English and Russian.
The conference is scheduled in a remote format using ZOOM.
Registration for listeners is available here till June 8, 2021: https://forms.gle/hCfybUaGgZYWWtfv6
Soviet Spirituality Research 