The acute crisis caused by the Russian invasion to Ukraine already led to drastic changes in diplomatic economic, trade and cultural relations with both countries. These changes also affected many countries of the former Soviet bloc, both in terms of their international and domestic policies. In this context, an important issue is the nature and role of the Russian language within the post-Soviet space, including the CIS countries, the Baltic states and, to a lesser extent, Central and Eastern Europe, as the language can be a powerful tool of the soft power – or even, as it happened in case of Russia-Ukraine war, even become an excuse for exercising of aggression – ostensibly in the name of protecting linguistic minorities.
It is thus hardly a surprise that some countries in the region are concerned that the language is no longer just a means of communication within the historically defined multi-ethnic context, but instead, an extension of the Russian sphere of influence. However, this issue cannot simply be addressed in a repressive or restrictive manner, since the Russian language is the de facto lingua franca for the significant number of people living in the countries of the region – whose national and ethnic identity nevertheless often has no affinity with the Russian state per se. Moreover, knowledge of Russian often provides better job opportunities both domestically – or even in Russia itself which, despite everything, still remains a major economic and political power in the region. Such combination of cultural, political and economic factors creates a strong inertia that maintains the use of Russian in the post-Soviet states, despite the natural desire of these countries to distance themselves from any Russian influence – especially in the wake of the war.
In this lecture, Dr. Vladimir Zherebov will bring forward his analysis of this issue, starting with the historical context of the spread of the Russian language, especially during the Soviet era, to the current state of affairs, including the strategies Russia is using to increase its soft power, to conclude with some reflections on whether language, culture and politics can and should be separated from the country of origin, as a way to end the tensions created by Russia projecting its influence on one side and countries often making not-so-well thought-out attempts to counter that influence.
This lecture aims to contribute to understanding the broader dynamics of international relations and cultural diplomacy
Agenda:
- 12.30 – 12.45 Welcome
- 12.45 – 13.30 Lecture by Dr. Vladimir Zherebov
- 12.45 Start Lunch
- 13.30 – 14.30 Q&A and Networking
- 14.30 End
Participant fee:
BDA House of Diplomacy Member: free of charge
BDA House of Diplomacy Non-Member: 40 euro excl. 21% VAT
Registration:
Please send an email to delia.barbu@vub.be.
Participation is guaranteed upon written confirmation only.
Cancellation :
Registrations can be cancelled or modified free of charge until one day prior to the event, at 10:00 AM.
For cancellations after this deadline, a late cancellation fee of €20 + VAT will apply.
In case of a no-show, participants agree to pay the full registration fee of €40 + VAT.
These fees help cover administrative and catering costs.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
Venue:
Vanbelle Law
Avenue du Général de Gaulle / Generaal de Gaullelaan 47
1050 Brussels
https://www.vanbellelaw.com/
Catering is kindly offered by www.lepecheurnord.com
