“Changeable Spatial Regimes: The Production of Geographical Knowledge and Shared Imaginations in Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union” - Public Lecture by Sofia Gavrilova
Events
A public lecture by Dr. Sofia Gavrilova of the Leibniz Institute of Regional Geography in Leipzig: “Changeable Spatial Regimes: The Production of Geographical Knowledge and Shared Imaginations in Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union” will be held at the book house “Ligamus” on November 7, at 20:00.
The speaker will analyze what function certain myths and silence had in the production of shared imaginary spaces during Soviet rule. What were the main shifts that the production of shared geographical imaginations underwent from the time of tsarism to the Soviet period? - Based on these issues, Sofia Gavrilova will emphasize the importance of the development of individual and “peripheral” histories of space in order to contrast with the colonial, self-absorbed spatial models.
The production of a shared geographical imagination is a natural process characteristic of all societies. How people perceive and approach a certain space is directly related to the sense of unity and thus to the creation of shared values, belonging and identities. It can become the foundation of the self-determination of a certain group of people or it can be forced on people by the state for control and management. Belonging to a space occurs at different levels, starting from one's own place of birth and ending with territories constructed by state institutions. No matter how different this spatial knowledge or perception at the personal level is, certain institutions and their tools still have the power to force a shared understanding of space on people, the purpose of which is usually the strengthening of the ideas of the nation-state or empire. These shared visions of space are not really “objective” in any sense, but rather a mixture of state ideology, state propaganda narratives, and traditional geographic thinking for a particular society or state.
About Sofia Gavrilova:
Sofia Gavrilova is a specialist in cultural and public geography. She defended her dissertation in the field of public geography at the University of Oxford in 2019, and she conducted her post-doctoral research there in 2019-2020. Currently, she is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Regional Geography in Leipzig. Her research interests are issues of place and national identity, the history of Soviet geographical thinking, and the production of spatial identities.
Working language: English
Time: November 7, 20:00
Location: Book House "Ligamus", I. Chavchavadze Avenue N32
Attendance is free.
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