A quarterly scholarly journal and news magazine. June 2012. Vol. V:2. 1 From the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) Academic life in newly Södertörn University, Stockholm founded Baltic States BALTIC WORLDSbalticworlds.com LANGUAGE &GYÖR LITERATUREGY DALOS SOFI OKSANEN STEVE sem-SANDBERG AUGUST STRINDBERG GYÖRGY DALOS SOFI OKSANEN STEVE sem-SANDBERG AUGUST STRINDBERG also in this issue ILL. LARS RODVALDR SIBERIA-EXILES / SOUNDPOETRY / SREBRENICA / HISTORY-WRITING IN BULGARIA / HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS / RUSSIAN ORPHANAGES articles2 editors’ column Person, myth, and memory. Turbulence The making of Raoul Wallenberg and normality IN auGusT, the 100-year anniversary of seek to explain what it The European spring of Raoul Wallenberg’s birth will be celebrated. is that makes someone 2012 has been turbulent The man with the mission of protect- ready to face extraordinary and far from “normal”, at ing the persecuted Jewish population in challenges; the culture- least when it comes to Hungary in final phases of World War II has theoretical analyzes of certain Western Euro- become one of the most famous Swedes myth, monuments, and pean exemplary states, of the 20th century. There seem to have heroes – here, the use of affected as they are by debt been two decisive factors in Wallenberg’s history and the need for crises, currency concerns, astonishing fame, and both came into play moral exemplars become extraordinary political around the same time, towards the end of themselves the core of the solutions, and growing the 1970s. The Holocaust had suddenly analysis. public support for extremist become the focus of interest for the mass Finally: the historical political parties. On the media and popular culture, particularly studies that, by means of other hand, some Eastern in the US; and political relations between The Raoul Wallenberg memorial in Stockholm. archival documents, seek European states have been East and West had once again become icy. Photo: Boberger/Wikimedia Commons to demolish the popular- characterized by more In the broader Holocaust narrative, Raoul cultural myths: Wallenberg stable conditions. Is it still Wallenberg became the great, lonely hero forces maintaining a black- worked together with other Swedes, and above all Hungar- meaningful to distinguish in the fight against Nazi evil. Ending up in and-white dichotomy no ians, and was an “armchair hero” who negotiated over between a Western and an Soviet captivity made him a victim, the longer exist. Is writing about the lives of Hungarians with “armchair murderers” (Paul Eastern, a modern and a victim of communist evil, and the object of Raoul Wallenberg thus no Levine and Attila Lajos). According to Levine, Wallenberg less modern Europe? tireless efforts lasting well into the 1980s to longer interesting? was a “minor figure in the Holocaust, who has grown into a Our coverage and analy- bring him home. The Wallenbergiana of central figure in the Holocaust memory”. It is thus evident sis of the general elections To put it cynically, this ended up being an recent years testifies to the that Raoul Wallenberg as a person, myth, and memory lives in Eastern Europe and unbeatable combination for posthumous contrary. In this literature, on with a continued powerful ability to fascinate. the Baltic Sea region (via fame. After the dissolution of state social- I see three main trends: HELENE CARLBÄCK balticworlds.com) is a way ism and the fall of the Soviet empire, these biographical studies that of answering that question. Civic activities mustn’t be greater in countries where democracy has evolved over a long period of time Championship in Poland and Ukraine. than in the new European Is there such a thing as fair play? democracies, subject to intrusive scrutiny from what is somewhat euphemisti- BALTIC WORLDS MONITORS least when we consider that the event: “EURO 2012 makes prostitution cally known as “the interna- the European Football the sport movements never not just a Ukrainian problem, but a Euro- tional community”. Championship on Baltic have been shy to invite politi- pean issue. Advertising copy mentioning The presence of people Worlds’ website http://baltic- cal actors into the sport fam- ‘beautiful Ukrainian women’ is used not from the previously Soviet- worlds.com/whats-up/. A lot ily. In fact, at long times they only to sell trips to Ukraine, but also as a dominated Eastern Europe of questions are being raised. have had mutual interests strategy to warn people against travelling has meant a significant What does co-hosting the to continue working on their to Ukraine. For example, a Dutch television stimulus for the host coun- European Football Cham- relationship.” commercial saying ‘Keep him at home’, tries. Södertörn Univer- pionship mean for relations Tove Stenquist, journalist, shown on the first and second national sity, where Baltic Worlds between the two countries? An advertisement reminds that the reports on the background channels, urges women to persuade their is published, now has a How has their cooperation EURO2012 should be free of forced prosti- to the historical relationship husbands not to go to Ukraine because it is chairman of the governing functioned? What is the tution and human trafficking. Image: Femen between Poland and Ukraine a country full of beautiful women.” board, a Swedish former championship’s importance through a conversation The women’s protests are not only part Social Democratic career for the countries’ economies, as well as for between Volodymyr Kulyk, Stanford, and Jacek Nowak of the struggle against prostitution accord- politician, who grew up the those of the affected cities? What happens (Jagiellonian University, Kraków): ing to Yurchuk. They are an effort to fight Montenegro of Yugoslavia. when the European Football Champion- “The positive and friendly attitude toward Ukraine at against violations of women’s rights and for MarieLouise Samuelsson ship comes to the city? Or when football the official level is not consistent with the perception of an alternative image of Ukraine. profiles him in an interview supporters from throughout Europe come Ukrainians among the Polish populace. The Germans used Further reading: Nicholas Aylott on the at balticworlds.com. to Ukraine and Poland? to be the nationality least liked by the Poles, reports Jacek social and political impact of football. Ann- On the web, Hans Wolf Kutte Jönsson, senior lecturer in practi- Nowak, but the Ukrainians have assumed that role over the Cathrine Jungar on racism and xenophobia reviews the latest publica- cal philosophy at Malmö University, writes last ten or so years, according to polls conducted by the in connection with the European Football tions on Swedish diplomat about “Sports and Politics: An ethical Polish Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS). Championship. Lars Johannsen on corrup- Raoul Wallenberg (see approach”: On the other hand, the Ukrainians’ image of the Poles tion and the European Football Cham- above, left). ≈ “Ever since the dawn of modern sport, has moved in the opposite direction, becoming more and pionship’s impact on the local economy. political leaders have seen the potential more positive.” Henrik Bogdan on violence and football. of making sport political. This is not the Yuliya Yurchuk, doctoral student in history at BEEGS Mike Dennis the Cold War in the GDR and politicians’ fault. No one can blame them with roots in Ukraine, writes about feminist initiatives for football. ≈ for using sport for their own purposes, not counteracting increased prostitution in association with Soccer has been seen as a role model for the rules of parliamentarism. In that game, cheating, corruption, embezzlement are not alien. editors’ column BALTIC editorial 3 Turbulence and normality Common terms WORLDSbalticworlds.com Sponsored by the Foundation ulti-national empires possessed undeni- sion in the 1820s, and the interference for Baltic and East European Studies able merits. The languages spoken were was ideologically motivated by the need many, and loyalty was to one central for humanity and compassion for the power — call it emperor, tsar, or sultan — oppressed and downtrodden masses. which demanded no national identity, but was often (See David Rodongo, Against Massacre: based on the fact that anyone showing allegiance was Humanitarian Interventions in The Otto- contents left more or less in peace. One did not need to profess man Empire 1815—1914, Princeton 2011.) faith in a particular nation, nor, often, in a particular It ended a hundred years later when feature religion. the Ottoman Empire was carved up and Joseph Roth, who came from the border region placed under the management of great 4 Baltic academic life between the Russian and Austrian empires, in what is powers. currently western Ukraine, wrote about his homeland: “It’s hard”, as Middle Eastern expert essays Charles Glass has put it, “to dispute the My birthplace was home to about ten thou- notion that the subjects of the empire 7 Universities in the Latvian sand people. Three thousand of them were were better off under the Ottomans Editors nation-building process insane, if not dangerously so. A mild insan- than under the British, the French and Anders Björnsson (editor- ity wafted around them like a golden cloud. the later regimes in Damascus, Beirut in-chief) and Ninna Mörner 33 Russian orphanages They carried on their business, and earned and Tel Aviv.” (“Hyper-Retaliation”, in Guest editors – then and now money. They married and had children. They London Review of Books, vol. 34:5, 2012) Markus Huss, Kaisa read books and newspapers. They concerned Kaakinen, Jenny Willner 40 The struggle for and against themselves with the things of this world. SUCH REMINDERS may not be easy to Publisher homosexual rights in Lithuania They conversed with one another in all the take from a mob or an army drunk with Anu Mai Kõll languages that were used by the very diverse victory. How can one demand restraint Editorial advisory board population of this part of the world.