War(s) in the Post-Soviet Space: Legacies of the past, present dynamics, future scenarios (Teil 1) - Detailseite

The full-scale Russian war against Ukraine has a fundamental impact on almost every aspect of societal, political, and economic life in all countries of the post-soviet space. While it is yet too early to fully understand and assess the multiple dimensions of this “Zeitenwende”, we will try to take stock of some of the repercussions visible so far. These analyses will not only focus on the present violent dynamic in the region, but also include still relevant legacies of the shared Soviet past as well as the - intended and unintended – changes which will shape the future of the societies, the political systems and the geopolitical orientation of the countries directly or indirectly affected by the war.

In order to enable a deeper understanding of these complex developments, scholars from the region will be invited as co-teachers to (parts of) the seminar. If possible, they will also establish (virtual) contacts between student groups in their countries of origin and the participants of the project seminar. It is the aim of these collaborative efforts to look at the ongoing war and its possible consequences from the perspective of the affected populations. One main focus will be on Ukraine, but also some of the neighboring countries, such as Georgia, Armenia, Moldova or Kasachstan will be taken into consideration. In addition, voices from Russia and, in particular, from Russians who left their home country because they oppose its current regime, will be included. Instead of writing “classical” term papers, the participating students will collaborate on different formats, such as blog posts, podcasts or even (brief) documentary videos to share their insights with a broader public.