WORKSHOP: Other Visions, Other Voices: Muslim Minorities and Cultural Negotiations in Ukraine, Russia and Georgia

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, critical approaches to imperialism, colonialism and the situation of the ethnic minorities in Russia, Ukraine as well as Georgia gained a new impetus. But it seems that the Russo-Ukrainian War may also be interpreted as another horrifying expression of Russian imperialism and nationalism, which have already been impacting societies—both directly or indirectly—for a longer period of time and which several scholars have been indicating in their work. Whereas the Russian Orthodox Church declares Russia’s war against Ukraine a ‘holy war’, comparably little attention has been payed so far to the religious minorities and their perceptions, public status or activism in various forms. Before this background, we would like to shift our attention specifically to Muslim minorities in the post-secular societies where Orthodox Christianity is a state- sponsored religion. How do Muslim believers draw attention to their own heritage, aim for participation or—where this is not possible—create a niche for themselves within mainstream society, form communities of utopian character, write alternative histories and envision the future? Participants in the workshop are encouraged to engage with a case study that introduces one specific Muslim community with its particular visions of a continued existence even in difficult circumstances.
The workshop is organised by the Centre for East European and international Studies (ZOiS) as part of the research network “Cooperation and Conflict in Eastern Europe” in cooperation with Humboldt University Berlin, Transregional Central Asian Studies.

Programme