Days of New Music Festival
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ADVERTISEMENT NEWNEW EASTERNEASTERN EUROPE ISIS AA COLLABORATIVECOLLABORATIVE PROJECTPROJECT BETWEENBETWEEN THREEFOUR POLISHPOLISH PARTNERS The City of Gdańsk The City of Gdańsk www.gdansk.plLower Silesia www.gdansk.pl www.dolnyslask.pl A city with over a thousand years of history, Gdańsk has been a melting pot of culturesA city with and over ethnic a thousand groups. years The air of tolerance and wealth built onLocated trade has in enabledof history, culture, Gdańsk science, has been and a the arts to flourish in the city for centuries.south-west Today,- Gdańskmelting pot remains of cultures a key and meeting eth- place and major tourist attraction ernin Poland.Poland, nic groups. The air of tolerance Lower Silesia is a region that has historical ties to While the city boasts historic sites of enchanting beauty, it also has a major and wealth built on trade has German, Polish and Czech culture. Throughout historic and socialenabled importance. culture, In science,addition andto its 1000-yearthe centuries, history, the regionthe city has is thebeen place at the where centre the of theSecond arts to World flourish War in broke the city out for as centuries. well as the Today, birthplace significant of Solidarność, historical events the Solidarity such as the movement, Protestant whichGdańsk led remains to the afall key of meeting Communism place andin Central major andReformation, Eastern Europ the Silesiane. Wars, Industrialisation and tourist attraction in Poland. While the city boasts both World Wars. After the Second World War the historic sites of enchanting beauty, it also has a region became part of the territory of Poland. The The European Solidarity Centre major historic and social importance. In addition capital and largest city of Lower Silesia is Wrocław, to its 1000-year history, the city is the placewww.ecs.gda.pl where located on the Oder River. Today Wrocław is one the Second World War broke out as well as the of Poland’s largest and most dynamic cities with a birthplace of Solidarność, theThe Solidarity European movement, Solidarity Centrerapidly growingis a multifunctional international institutionprofile and combining is regarded which led to the fall of Communismscientific, in Centralcultural andand educationalas one of theactivities most important with a modern commercial, museum educa and- Eastern Europe. tional and tourist sites in the country. archive, which documents freedom movements in the modern history of Poland and Europe. The EuropeanCentre was Solidarity established Centre in Gdańsk on NovemberThe Jan8th 2007.Nowak-Jeziorański Its new building College was opened in www.ecs.gda.pl2014 on the anniversary of the August Accords signedof Eastern in Gdańsk Europe between the workers’ union “Solidarność” and communist authorities in 1980.www.kew.org.pl The Centre is meant to be an agora, a space for people and ideas thatThe build European and develop Solidarity a civic society, a meeting place for people who hold Centre is a multifunction- the world’s future dear. The mission of the Centre is to commemorate, maintainThe College and popularise of Eastern al institution combining Europe is a non-profit, the heritage and message of the Solidarity movement and the anti-communist democratic op- scientific, cultural and non-governmental foun- educationalposition in Polandactivities and with throughouta modern museum the world. and Through its activities the Centredation wants founded to oninspire Feb- newarchive, cultural, which civic,documents trade freedomunion, local movements government, in ruary national 9th 2001 and by European Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, initiatives with a formera uni- versalthe modern dimension. history of Poland and Europe. The head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe and Centre was established in Gdańsk on November a democratic activist. The foundation deals with 8th 2007. Its new building was opened in 2014 on cooperation between the nations of Central and The Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe the anniversary of the August Accords signed in Eastern Europe. The aims if its charters are to carry Gdańsk between the workers’ union “Solidarność”www.kew.org.pl out educational, cultural and publishing activities, and communist authorities in 1980. The Centre is and to develop programmes which enhance the meant to be an agora, a Thespace College for people of Eastern and Europetransformation is a non-profit, in the countries non-governmental of Eastern Europe.founda- ideas that build and develop a civic society, a meet- tion founded on FebruaryThe 9th organisation 2001 by Jan has Nowak-Jeziorański, its headquarters in aWrocław, former ing place for people who hold the world’s future Poland, a city in western Poland, perfectly situated head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe and a democratic activist. dear. The mission of the Centre is to commemorate, in the centre of Europe and with a deep understand- maintain and popularise theThe heritage foundation and message deals withing cooperation of both Western between and Eastern the nations Europe. of Central andof the Eastern Solidarity Europe. movement The and aims the ifanti-communist its charters are to carry out educational, cultural and publish- ingdemocratic activities, opposition and to developin Poland programmes and throughout which enhance the transformation in the countries ofthe Eastern world. Through Europe. its Theactivities organisation the Centre has wants its toheadquarters in Wrocław, Poland, a city in western inspire new cultural, civic, trade union, local govern- Poland, perfectly situated in the centre of Europe and with a deep understanding of both West- ment, national and European initiatives with a uni- versalern and dimension. Eastern Europe. www.neweasterneurope.eu Dear Reader, In the eighth century BC Hesiod complained: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words.” The poet’s words echoed throughout centuries and were used by adults while addressing each subsequent young generation. Such is the nature of the unavoidable conflict of generations. In this issue, however, we argue against Hesiod. Our authors illustrate how the ongoing generational exchange that is taking place in the countries of the former Soviet Union, and especially in today’s Russia, brings hope, not despair. Even more, the youth that is coming of age in these countries today, although often misunder- stood by their parents and politicians, is probably the best indicator as to what could take place in the near future. Their unprecedented participation in the 2017 rallies in Russia shows that these kids care about their future. Hence, it is worth keeping in mind the words of sociolo- gist and researcher Svetlana Erpyleva who writes: “During the recent anti-corruption rallies in Russia, young people spoke out not only against the dishonesty of power and lack of political freedom in the country, but also against the unfair distribution of income between different groups, the inaccessible medical services, the high fees for student housing and growing food prices.” Not surprisingly, this potential is extremely tempting for politicians who – be it by direct communication (Alexei Navalny) or official instruction and historical policy (the Kremlin) try to shape their minds. As our authors note there is an increase of the latter, be it in Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, which causes us to reflect on the ef- fectiveness of the methods used (such as a single interpretation of history in Russia or Belarus, or the new education reform in Ukraine) and the context in which they are introduced. If recent events can teach us anything, radical political change does not take place in the classroom, or in accordance with official rhetoric. Thus, while the immediate outcome of the March 2018 Russian presidential election may already be known, the long-term changes in the region are much more difficult to foresee, especially if we ignore the aspirations and values of these adolescents and young adults. With this in mind, we wish you an inspiring reading of this issue. The Editors Contents Opinion & Analysis 7 The politicisation of Russian youth 50 The growing religiosity Svetlana Erpyleva of Kyrgyz youth In Russia, within the younger generation, a Keneshbek Sainazarov politically sensitive “subgroup” has formed and has been growing since 2010. It is no longer 55 Playing for high electoral just Vladimir Putin’s generation, but also the stakes in Kyrgyzstan generation of Alexei Navalny and YouTube. Joanna Lillis Kyrgyzstan likes to portray itself as 14 Russia’s young and restless speak up Central Asia’s only democracy – but dog- Anastasia Sergeeva whistle politics and dirty tricks deployed Today’s young Russian generation was born in in the October 2017 presidential election the mid to late 1990s. They grew up with the muddied its democratic credentials. internet and mobile phones. They witnessed the country grow rich and believed they too 61 Long live Kim Jong-un: would receive the benefits of oil revenue and how Russia helps the live happily. But alas it has turned out that the dictator thrive internet is censored, the benefits are gone Artem Filatov and they are not going to get much in life. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there is an estimated 40,000 North 22 Rewriting Russian history Koreans working in Russia today, with Dagmara Moskwa some assessments indicating that The battle for the future shape of Russia’s this number will continue to grow. education system is now in full swing. Not only is the Kremlin increasing its 67 Security in Europe with Russia control over what it considers the correct version of the past, there are also signs and/or from Russia? of a gradual ideological return to promote Manfred Huterer the glorification of Joseph Stalin. 76 How can the West promote 29 Ukraine’s wartime education reform an East-Central European Wojciech Siegień security alignment? In the autumn of 2017, Ukraine passed an Andreas Umland education reform law.