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CHERNOBYL Sponsored by the Foundation BALTIC for Baltic and East European Studies BALTIC WORLDSBALTIC A scholarly journal and news magazine. October 2019. Vol. XII:3. Interview: Lithuanian From the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), Södertörn University. writer Tomas Venclova October 2019. Vol. XII:3 BALTIC Special Section: Cultural heritage and the property of missing persons WORLDSbalticworlds.com Artifacts The function of books in the siege of Leningrad The value of art and their in revolutionary Petrograd phantom owners Special Section. Section. Special Cultural heritage and the property of missing persons missing of property the and heritage Cultural also in this issue 1920 Boris Kustodiev, Painting: CONCERNED HISTORIANS / PRIBALTIFICATION / SOVIET FOOD / THE CHURCH IN POLAND / CHERNOBYL Sponsored by the Foundation BALTIC for Baltic and East European Studies WORLDSbalticworlds.com editorial in this issue The echo of the absent altic Worlds introduces an essay on became a place to keep warm and the responses by the Catholic Church stay human and alive by consuming in Poland to clerical sexual abuse, as books, even literally, when there more victims come forwards. Real was no food. Iulia Demidenko dis- changeB is absent, argues the author Brendon cuss the consequences on the art Humphrey. We follow with another alarming market of the Russian Revolution topic, namely, the rising cases of the persecu- and the Bolshevik nationalization tion and obstruction of researchers in history. of mansions, homes and property. David Gaunt discusses some worrisome trends The people who left, were forced indicating that more historians in more coun- into exile or just disappeared left tries are facing restrictions and being silenced. valuable objects that made the art And several might feel obliged to censor them- market explode. Ove Bring pro- Pribaltification selves to be able to continue research at all. vides us with guidance on the legal “One must do one’s best to undermine the aspects of the concept of missing on Russian TV system” is the title and a quote from the Lithu- persons. Jean-Luc Nancy is inter- The image of ‘Pribalts’ anian writer and poet Tomas Venclova, who is viewed and proposes that there is in russia has been rein- interviewed here about his life and thoughts no cultural heritage. In a lecture, forced by stereotypes and myths on growing up in a communist system. He has Iampolski argues that we are now gradually accumulated through written about his memories and his hometown facing a shrinking of the present as “literature, cinema, the media, of Klapeida, which was severely damaged in things tends to grow old faster. In personal cultural contacts and WWII. Ashes and dust become beautiful new contrast the past is expanding and popular jokes. Page 17 literary formations for Venclova, as for example coming closer upon us. Finally, in in his here published poem: A Poem about an essay on archaeology and the Memory. findings from the past, Hegardt asks questions about the long- IN THIS ISSUES’ THEME SECTION, “Cultural heri- departed missing owners and how tage and the property of missing persons”, their absence may be recognized Irina Sandomirskaja and Anna Kharkina offer by their ancestors’ claims. a broad and thrilling series of articles all con- nected to the idea that when persons leave, es- THIS RICH ISSUE of Baltic Worlds also pecially in haste, there will be things left behind contains other articles, as for exam- that lose their meaning and value in one sense ple an introduction to the concept but, in another sense, are filled with new, as of “Pribaltification”, and an analy- they are passed on and move around. The con- sis of the link between Soviet food cept of Missing is discussed and viewed from and gender. ≈ different angles and the presence of the ab- Ninna Mörner On the cover sence, as Irina Sandomirskaja describes it in the Portrait of Isaak Brodsky, 1920 introduction, becomes a glue. Marcia Sá Caval- by Boris Kustodiev. The painter cante Schuback also suggests that the missing is Brodsky was also an avid art col- a space (Lancuna), a lack of presence. NMÄ lector. After his death Brodsky’s NE RK A E V T Polina Barskova describes the siege of Lenin- S apartment on Arts Square in grad and the places that were empty — some of St. Petersburg was declared a Trycksak them gain new meaning, as the library, which 3041 0242 national museum. contents 3 colophon Baltic Worlds is published by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) at interview essay Södertörn University, Sweden. 4 Breaking the silence in Poland. 28 Believing in a brighter future for Editor-in-chief On sexual abuse by the clergy, Europe. Lithuanian writer Tomas Ninna Mörner Brendan Humphreys Venclova, Stefan Ingvarsson Publisher commentary conference reports Joakim Ekman 10 Growing threats. Report from the 39 International relations in the age Scholarly advisory council Network of Concerned Historians, of anxiety, Cagla Demirel Thomas Andrén, Södertörn David Gaunt 41 Beyond cultural and spatial University; Sari Autio-Sarasmo, boundaries in Riga, Aleksanteri Institute, Helsinki feature Michela Romano Universiy; Sofie Bedford, IRES, 12 Creating peace in Kosovo. 112 Post-Soviet Central Asia, Uppsala University; Michael Theater as a cosmopolitan method, Oleg Antonov Gentile, Oslo University; Markus Emily Russell Huss (chair), Stockholm University; reviews Katarina Leppänen, University of peer-reviewed article 101 The Chernobyl disaster, Gothenburg; Thomas Lundén, 17 Pribaltification on Russian TV. Johanna Lindbladh Looking at smaller Baltic neighbors CBEES, Södetörn University; 104 Linking gender and food in the through Russia’s “mind’s eye”, Kazimierz Musiał, University of late Soviet context, Julia Malitska Dzmitry Pravatorau Gdańsk; Barbara Törnquist Plewa, 108 The revision of Herstory, Centre for European Studies, Lund Marie Láníková University Corresponding members Aija Lulle, University of Latvia; Cultural heritage and Michael North, Ernst Moritz special section the property of missing persons Arndt University Greifswald; Andrzei Nowak, Jagiellonian Guest editors: Irina Sandomirskaja & Anna Kharkina University, Kraków; Andrea Petö, Central European University, introduction commentaries 43 The property of missing 68 The heritage of the missing. Budapest; Jens E. Olesen, persons: Cultural heritage, Some remarks from an international Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, value, and historical justice, law perspective, Ove Bring Greifswald; Olga Schihalejev, Irina Sandomirskaja 82 What is missing? Marcia Sá Tartu University Cavalcante Schuback Copyediting/proofreading essays Semantix; Bridget Schäfer 46 Gone missing: Books and their interview Layout owners in the siege of Leningrad, 70 “There is no heritage”. Sara Bergfors, Lena Fredriksson, Polina Barskova A conversation with philosophers Serpentin Media 52 The missing of history in Jean-Luc Nancy and Peter Trawny on Illustrations heritage: H. G. Adler’s novel the subject of nationalism and cultural Moa Franzén, Karin Sunvisson, The Wall — A missing author, heritage, Irina Sandomirskaja Ragni Svensson Irina Sandomirskaja Subscription lecture 58 “We know what we are 86 On the production and suspension Sofia Barlind losing ...” The scattering of art of time, Mikhail Iampolski Printed by in revolutionary Petrograd, Iulia Elanders Sverige AB Demidenko Printed: ISSN 2000-2955 94 The Internet, archaeology and Online: ISSN 2001-7308 the spectacular, Johan Hegardt Contact Baltic Worlds [email protected] The content expresses the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Baltic Worlds. 4 essay CROSSROADS?CROSS OR WILL THERE BE A ‘QUIET REVOLUTION’ IN POLAND? by Brendan Humphreys irst there was a fictional film,Clergy (Kler, 2018) and Local realities and political circumstances make each individual now a documentary film,Tell No One (Tylko nie mów case different, but it might be possible to detect some common- nikomu, 2019) that directly confront a core and very alities between countries. sensitive relationship in Poland, that of the Catholic In Ireland, a similar process is still ongoing, but the authority Church and the people. of the Church has certainly taken much punishment over the past The former film was a satirical comedy; the latter is a pro- three decades. It is worth examining this situation to see if there foundly unsettling viewer experience, a clinical exposé that in- might be some points of comparison with post-socialist Poland. cludes scenes of the abused confronting their abusers. It makes difficult, upsetting viewing. It was released directly on YouTube A dark, hidden history in May 2019 and had over 20 million views within weeks. The process in Ireland could be likened to an archaeological dig, With the recent screenings depicting corruption with each layer revealing darker and darker experi- and sexual abuse by priests in Poland, issues ences, long hidden from public view. Unearthing that were previously taboo are now being abstract secrets and even — literally — actual corpses, aired in public. What effect, if any, will became part of this downward journey. these events have on the powerful po- With the recent screening of a Previously, there had been what sition of the Roman Catholic Church feature film and a documentary depict- seemed like isolated incidents, which in Poland? ing corruption and sexual abuse by priests showed that the conservative Cath- in Poland, issues that were previously taboo are olic ethos of the country had a IN CANADA, the “quiet revolution” now being aired in public. What effect, if any, will
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