BALTIC WORLDSBALTIC A scholarly journal and news magazine. April 2021. Vol. XIV:1–2. From the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), Södertörn University. Review: Jan Grabowski’s new book in Polish April 2021. Vol. XIV:1–2 BALTIC WORLDSbalticworlds.com Kazakh dance and emancipation during Stalinism Sami village victory over the Swedish state Patriotic education of youth in modern Russia Depictions of Siberian peoples in the 18th century Traditional life vs nation building nation vs life Traditional Traditional life vs nation building also in this issue Z Sunvisson Karin Illustration: THE LEGACY OF 1989 / LGBTQ+ IN BELARUS / LUTHERAN ST. PETERSBURG / THE THREE SEAS INITIATIVE Sponsored by the Foundation BALTIC for Baltic and East European Studies WORLDSbalticworlds.com editorial in this issue Nation building seen from the periphery he Bergholtz collection with over 200 during Stalinism on the fringes of hand painted images of the peoples the Soviet Union, and also its con- of the Russian Empire, dating from sequences for Shara Zhienkulova the first half of the 18th century, has as an individual and an artist bal- Thitherto been largely unknown. In their essay ancing her own ambitions, her love Nathaniel Knight and Edward Kasinec describe for the Kazakh culture and the dan- the contents of the collection, particularly with gerous but prosperous situation regard to its depictions of Siberian peoples and of being a role model for Kazakh Ukrainians. Images portraying life in the distant women in Stalin’s brutal modern- Russian and nearly unexplored peripheries of the Em- ization reform programs. pire were unusual at this time. Nobel Prize IN ANOTHER peer-reviewed article, winners IN THIS RICH ISSUE there are several contribu- by Ekaterina Kalinina, the dis- Solzhenitsyn returned tions that examine local cultures’ struggle and courses in modernization projects to Russia after nearly resistance against being absorbed in modern- in today’s Russia are discussed. 20 years in exile. Page 131 ization projects initiated by governments for She notes a growing heritage in- nation building purposes. dustry sector. Putin’s version of “ A breakthrough for indigenous people hap- modernization includes a strong pened last year in Sweden. The rights to fish ideological element and four state- and hund was by Supreme Court given to Girjas sponsored programs of patriotic Sami village to decide upon, with references education have been launched to their “prescription from time immemorial”. with the aim to “instill patriotic Baltic Worlds’ Påhl Ruin visited the village, sentiments for the purpose of mo- talked about this victory with Sami people, lo- bilizing the population to support cal decision makers and hunters. The situation official policies”. is far from calm. There have even been several Johan Hegardt, in an analysis symbolic killings of reindeer, presumably by of the Swedish Government’s in- angry local hunters. Southern Sweden’s hunt- quiries since 1922, presents how ers, for their part, have been reporting the Sami cultural heritage gradually became village for discrimination against them, claim- an issue for immigrants and differ- ing that they prefer to sell the rights to hunt and ent ethnic groups in the Swedish fish to hunters living in the area.… society. In this contect cultural her- Geopolitics, The clashes between traditional lifestyles itage as a unifying mark of identity and cultures and modernizing reforms are can play into the hands of national- genetics explored in a contribution from Kazakhstan ists. ≈ and genocide Ninna Mörner The Russian geneticist by Didar Kassymova and Elmira Teleuova. The Kazakh dancer and artist Shara Zhienkulova’s Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov life and her written memoirs are analyzed in starved to death in a Saratov an attempt to describe the changes occurring “prison in 1943. Page 137 The content expresses the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Baltic Worlds. contents 3 colophon Baltic Worlds is published by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) at Södertörn University, Sweden. Editor-in-chief Ninna Mörner Publisher Joakim Ekman ILLUSTRATION: KARIN Z SUNVISSON Scholarly advisory council Sari Autio-Sarasmo, Aleksanteri Institute, Helsinki University; features essays Sofie Bedford, IRES, Uppsala 4 Girjas sami village vs. the Swedish 33 The end of “East Central Europe” and University; Michael Gentile, Oslo state, Påhl Ruin the return of “Europe in-between”, University; Markus Huss (chair), Stockholm University; Ekaterina 98 The protests in Belarus and the future Jörg Hackmann Kalinina, Jönköping University, of the LGBTQ+ community, Marina 45 Heritage, democracy, ambiguity. Thomas Lundén, CBEES, Henrikson Swedish heritage and the politics of Södertörn University; Kazimierz identity, Johan Hegardt stories Musiał, University of Gdańsk; 86 Faces of Russia’s empire. The 26 Traces of Jewish life. In the eyes of the Barbara Törnquist Plewa, Centre Bergholtz collection of ethnographic German soldiers, Peter Handberg for European Studies, Lund images from the early 18th century, Corresponding members 131 The Nobel Prize and Russia, Nathaniel Knight & Edward Kasinec Magnus Ljunggren Aija Lulle, University of Latvia; Michael North, Greifswald interview peer-reviewed University; Andrzei Nowak, 102 Nuclear superpowers. Art, culture, articles and heritage in the Nuclear age, Jagiellonian University, Kraków; 12 The legacy of 1989 in Poland. Eglė Rindzevičiūtė Andrea Petö, Central European Conflicts and commemoration 30 University, Budapest; Jens E. years after the end of Communism, reports Olesen, Greifswald University; Barbara Törnquist-Plewa 107 To Europe with hope: Juris Kursietis’ Olga Schihalejev, Tartu University 57 The Janus of Russian modernization. Oleg, Michela Romano Copyediting/proofreading Semantix, Bridget Schäfer Discussions at the 3rd Cultural Forum 144 Far-right activism, memory politics & of the Regions of Russia, Ekaterina the Internet, Francesco Zavatti Layout Kalinina Sara Bergfors, Lena Fredriksson, commentary Serpentin Media 69 Shara Zhienkulova as the “femina 109 The case of Yurii Dmitriev and the case Illustration Sovietica”. Emanicipation in Stalinist of Russian Karelia, Ingmar Oldberg Karin Z Sunvisson, Ragni Kazakhstan, Didar Kassymova & Svensson, Moa Thelander Elmira Teleuova reviews Subscription 118 The Church of Sweden and St. 137 Geopolitics, genetics and genocide. [email protected] Catherine’s Lutheran Church in St. Small seeds in world history, Thomas Printed by Petersburg. Post-Soviet memory Lundén Elanders Sverige AB politics from a church historical 140 Jan Grabowski’s research is facing Printed: ISSN 2000-2955 perspective, Gunilla Gunner & a lawsuit in Poland. New book on Online: ISSN 2001-7308 Carola Nordbäck the Polish Police during WWII, Piotr Contact Baltic Worlds Wawrzeniuk [email protected] NMÄ NE RK A E V T S Trycksak 3041 0242 4 feature GIRJAS SAMI VILLAGE VS. THE SWEDISH STATE BREAKTHROUGH FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE by Påhl Ruin eindeer herding Sami won huge success when the Su- years ago, it was discovered that the cracks caused by the explo- preme Court last year gave the Sami village Girjas the sions were beginning to approach the city — with the result that right to decide on hunting and fishing within the village parts of the city had to be demolished and rebuilt some distance boundaries. Now the Sami hope to have a greater influ- away. The city of Kiruna exists because of the mine and thus has ence over land use also in other areas, such as mining and con- to move when the mine needs more space. The contrast could struction of wind farms. But the prospects there are not as good. not be greater: When the mine needs to expand, then the city Girjas Sami village is located in Norrbotten, some 200 kilo- gives way — but when the reindeer trade loses pastures, the flex- meters from Sweden’s northernmost border with Norway. The ibility is not as great. nearest airport is in Kiruna. In the arrival hall it is clear that you are in Sápmi, the land of the Sami. An advertising pillar column EVEN BEFORE INDUSTRIALIZATION, there was extensive discrimina- describing the region’s attractions also includes a picture of a tion against Sweden’s indigenous people, but it was in the 20th Sami and the English text: “Learn about the Sámi culture, the century that the situation became acute. Reindeer-owning Sami Sámi are one of the indigenous peoples of the world and for cen- who were used to letting their herds move long distances be- turies they have lived close to nature”. tween pastures noticed how their way of life was made difficult When you get out of the airport, however, something com- by the development of society: by roads, train tracks, forestry, pletely different dominates your view: the mine. The low-lying hydropower and of course also by mining. In more recent de- sun has already set behind the mountain Kirunavaara, which cades, the reindeer herding industry has also been challenged towers a few kilometers away. Here, the state-owned company by the growing tourism industry and the construction of wind LKAB has mined ore for over a hundred years and today it is the turbines. world’s largest underground mine for iron ore. About fifteen It is against this background that one should see the Sami reindeer husbandry’s perhaps greatest success to date, the rul- ing in the Supreme Court from January 2020. Girjas Sami village had for many years pointed out the problems for rein- deer husbandry of the large number of recreational fisher- men and hunters in sensitive areas. Reindeer are fugitive ani- mals and are easily disturbed by noise and movement. When state authorities did not heed their concerns, they turned to the courts. And after ten years of litigation, the Sami village won “the right to lease small game hunting and fishing in the moun- tain areas”. And it was the court’s motivation that was the most surprising: That Sami land rights have been worked up through “prescription from time immemorial” and that a convention on indigenous peoples’ rights (ILO 169) is binding even though Swe- den has not ratified the convention.