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Almost all:

1. Pick a concept/quote to Volvach's reading to discuss in the first reading circle and then use Steps 2 and 3 to run your circle.

2. Warm up with the starters questions on the assigned concepts:

What are your reactions to the concept/quote?

What do you already know about the concept/quote?

What does the text imply about this concept/quote?

2. Discuss the concepts with some of the following questions:

What do you think caused this phenomenon to happen (refer back to the text)?

What is the counterargument from the Russian Mir/ Soviet/Empire perspective?

3. Then, post your group response towards Point 2 (what questions you discussed & relate to the world (something similar happening to another ethnic group/place). Add your group names

4. Move to another reading circle on another concept following the same guidelines.

5. Afterwards, we will ask some groups to share what they discussed before inviting the response team to respond

A group of two volunteers (Bonus 1 % for participation) will be today's response team, whose job is to respond to the whole reading circle session with a critical mindset:

observe how peers respond to the concepts in this Padlet and record your initial reactions in a separate post ("Response Team Reactions"). You are welcome to walk around to listen to any reading group.

when reconvened, make a post where you highlight something important in today's session and connect it to what we discussed on April 30 https://padlet.com/shockingsizeservices/april-30-reading-circles-sfgfjpbtpgv49wkb

You will be invited to respond to the session after two reading circles and posing your questions.

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1 Pervasive absence (p. 4-5) - through Petra's perspective

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1 Pervasive absence (p. 4-5) - through Petra's perspective

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2 omnipresent Soviet street names and farmer's market (pp. 7-8) figures 2-5

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2 omnipresent Soviet street names and farmer's market (pp. 7-8) figures 2-5

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4 shadowy and holed absences as evidence of erasure pp. 10 - 11 (figures 6 - 8)

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4 shadowy and holed absences as evidence of erasure pp. 10 - 11 (figures 6 - 8)

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5 Russian spring and 'the accession' p. 13-14

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5 Russian spring and 'the accession' p. 13-14

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6 signs forgotten to be erased pp. 15 - 17

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6 signs forgotten to be erased pp. 15 - 17

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7 my question to the article by Volvach 

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7 my question to the article by Volvach 

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how would those signs be representative of the Crimean Tatars? Where would be their public art exist? Please find some in the web that represents signs of any sort in Crimean Tatar.

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Amir, Emira

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Protecting Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian Culture

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as Catherine the Great and Grigorii Potemkin applied it to the Crimea after Russia's annexation in 1783. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-catherine-great-invaded-crimea-and-put-rest-world-edge-180949969/

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Protecting Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian Culture

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6tfw5TJnH0&t=35s

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10 years ago, on March 3, 2014, Crimean Tatar activist Reshat Ametov went to the central square of Simferopol to protest against the occupation of the Crimean peninsula. It was a one-person picket. He also planned to sign up as a volunteer at the military registration and enlistment office.

He was detained by the so-called "Crimean self-defense" in the presence of Russian military personnel, which was recorded on video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11S2Vhkr-bc. No verified or confirmed information about Ametov's movements after his kidnapping has been made public.

There is information that immediately after the kidnapping, Reshat Ametov was taken to the office of the "Russian Unity" in Simferopol, where at that time one of the headquarters of the so-called "Crimean Self-Defense", a group that also participated in the occupation of Crimea, was located. Information about his further movements is unknown.

Refat Ametov, the activist's brother, recalls: "These [actions of the Crimean Tatars of that period] were actions for peace, and Reshat came out with a peaceful, but completely different idea - "I have the right!" - he believes that Reshat did not intend to fight anyone, but simply declared his right to be there. But for the occupiers, this obviously turned out to be the same as a declaration of war. According to Refat, that is the reason for the murder of his brother.

The body of Reshat Ametov, with signs of torture and violent death, was found on March 15 in the village of Zemlianichne, Belogorsk region of Crimea. His body showed signs of numerous tortures, his head was tied with tape, and handcuffs were lying next to him.

The criminals have not yet been punished. The investigation is supposedly being conducted by the occupation administrations, and Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have no access to the case file or the crime scene.

The murder of Reshat Ametov may well be qualified as a crime against humanity and as a war crime, which is an intentional homicide. As of now, exactly in this context, the Ukrainian law enforcement authorities qualify the murder of an activist.

In 2015, Reshat Ametov was honored with the People's Hero of Ukraine title (posthumously), and in 2017 he was recognized as the Hero of Ukraine (posthumously).

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The first victim of the occupation of Crimea: 10 years since the detention of Reshat Ametov - Crimea Platform

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10 years ago, on March 3, 2014, Crimean Tatar activist Reshat Ametov went to the central square of Simferopol to protest against the occupation of the Crimean peninsula. It was a one-person picket. He also planned to sign up as a volunteer at the military registration and enlistment office.

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11 need for new forms and tools to protect international cultural heritage amid the war

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11 need for new forms and tools to protect international cultural heritage amid the war

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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2022/729377/EPRS_ATA(2022)729377_EN.pdf

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Protecting Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian Culture

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12 Russian counternarrative from "Russian Mir" to Volvach

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12 Russian counternarrative from "Russian Mir" to Volvach

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https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-monument-polite-people-crimea-invasion/27000320.html

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Russia's Little Green Men Enter Ukraine: Russian Roulette in Ukraine

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I didn't know about this topic at all but after reading the article I think it is quite crazy how even after being the sole person there he was still seen as a threat from the Russian perspective and thus persecuted and eventually murdered. Since they are the only ones on the case, it is clear nothing more will come out of it since it was a job from the inside.

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What caused this could be traced back to how nothing can ever really be erased. Just as we find remnants of fossils, remnants of Ukrainian culture can be found still standing in Crimea. Those same things that are lost, all they lose is there title, but their presence and existence still holds conversational value. What do these "ruins" say about violence and the state of Ukrainian culture now? An abandoned place still holds value despite it's lack activity and retitling as a "ruin".

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Human rights in Crimea (Natalija and Theo)

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Human rights in Crimea (Natalija and Theo)

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The text attributes the persecution and cultural erasure of the Crimean Tatars by Russia to a longstanding policy of imperial colonial expansion. This policy has historically aimed at incorporating neighboring lands into the empire, a trend that has persisted through various forms of Russian governance, from the Grand Duchy of Moscow to the current Russian Federation. The illegal annexation of Crimea and the systemic persecution of Crimean Tatars are seen as part of this aggressive foreign policy, which seeks to suppress and erase the distinct national identities and cultural heritage of the Crimean Tatars.

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Nashley and Maggie

Russia painted over the Ukrainian artwork in Simferopol after the complete annexation of Crimea due to the work being dedicated to the "Motherland" or important Ukrainian values all created by Crimean children. The reason Russia did this was firstly to remove any Ukrainian nationalism. This sets Ukraine up as the "other" and helps control the narrative. Russia might state that due to Crimean people speaking Russian, they may state that Crimean people are more Russian than they are Ukrainian. This is further proven when Ukrainian cultural artifacts were put into a museum in Simferopol, Ukraine is a thing of the past to them.

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In the article, Volvach explained the importance of preserving one's culture. For instance, Volvach mentioned the idea of 'zombie landscapes', and how Russians are forcing out the Ukrainian culture further erasing their existence. They further systematically erased and destroyed 60+ of their museums which harbors their history and their previous knowledge of their past. Even though the history and locations of the museums were erased by the Russians, they can still enforce their values and ideas through implicit actions: music, art, and language. Having these intangibles allows their history and identity to continue to persist. The quote, "This ruin was inhabited by ghosts of the bygone past. It was another exhibit testifying to the violence of the regime". This is an exmaple of what Russia has done, and this is what they are justifying.

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Our initial reaction to the video and article was horror and sadness. This event is devastating and sets a big precedent for all protestors. This is an event that will discourage others from protesting against the government, which accomplishes their goal of instilling fear in people who oppose the occupation. "The murder of Reshat Ametov may well be qualified as a crime against humanity and as a war crime, which is an intentional homicide. As of now, exactly in this context, the Ukrainian law enforcement authorities qualify the murder of an activist."

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"Semiotic Landscape" in train station Sela and Khadija

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"Semiotic Landscape" in train station Sela and Khadija

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Signs written in a deserted railway station and other walls are a sign of hope and evidence of Ukrainian statehood and Crimea's legitimacy. The wall itself is a symbol of the ruin that Russia brought. Even though the wall was destroyed, the sign remained, just like Russia physically destroyed parts of Ukraine but the culture remained.

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It seems that the government was successful in instilling fear into the people of Crimea. Using fear is a common way of controlling masses of people throughout history. It is used to silence and control crowds to make people believe what they want them to believe. How do you feel that fear is being used anywhere else in the world right now to control?

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We found it very interesting the way in which you connected Ukrainian culture to fossil remnants that cannot be erased fully.

How can you connect the remnants in Crimea to the remnants of other cultures, where in history has this idea been seen as well?

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In the article they discussed how Russia took over Ukraine and then compared it to when Catherine the Great also took over Crimea. When we first read this it really fit in what we knew already. Russia has had a long history of invading lands that don't belong to them. This invasion occurred because Russia has a history of conquering and we have seen this from Catherine the great as an example. The Counter argument for Russia is that Russia is claiming Ukrainian land is theirs and the land of Ukraine belongs to Russia. They aren't conquering it they are taking back what is what they see rightfully theirs.

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We learned that Russia is trying to strip away Ukraine culture as much as possible via destroying cultural landmarks and artifacts. Not only is this part of a crime against humanity but also bring considerable damage to very important pieces of history. Some of the loss prevention has been to display a blue shield in order to deter any damage being done but it still seems as if Russia does not care to violate these protections. Their culture has been destroyed in many areas and has left citizens displaced and longing for a sense of home again.

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It is very interesting to see all the ways in which Russia works to destroy culture in Ukraine.

What will most likely be the effects of this ongoing attack against Ukrainian culture and identity?

What are ways that Ukrainians can fight against Russian aggression and maintain unity?

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In the article, it was referenced that "As Empress, Catherine intended to continue the program of Westernization begun by Peter III’s grandfather" This is what she covets for the motherland of Russia; however, through time Russia became more independent, and reserved with their values and coveted the need to instill a more personalized culture that is diverse from the West. In the case of Putin, he thinks that the West is the aggressor, which is why the invasion of Ukraine has ultimately started. Putin systematically ignores the genocide from Holodomor and the Gulag which post Soviet Union has faced and endured. This is dangerous since systematically manipulating one's history can be forgotten or permanently erased, which is the case with Ukraine by deleting the history of Crimean Tartars.

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Maggie and Khadija - Polite People statue

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Maggie and Khadija - Polite People statue

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After Crimea's annexation, Russia erected a statue in an attempt to fix its image and portray themselves as caregivers and "polite people". From their persepctive, they were only trying to protect the Russian population. They try to humanize the soldier by removing his mask, although the picture it was based on had a soldier wearing a mask. The statue also depicts him showing kindness, holding a kitten.

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This is a good way to explain what is going on here. I though you guys did a good job of explaining what is going on and how Russia feels about taking land back. Russia beilives that they were robbed of land so they just want to take it back. It's important to see both sides of the story though so good job on highlighting that. Do you think this is a valid reason for the invasion of Ukrian by Russia?

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2 omnipresent Soviet street names and farmer's market

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2 omnipresent Soviet street names and farmer's market

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Theo and Nashley

After annexation or a war happens and it ends, the people who were affected have to continue living their life. While walking through the market the researcher sees a lot of similarities in the smells and food and when she looks at the streets there are named by their Soviet street name. These street names make her want to 'uncover' more things that are left after the war using her bias and instinct. "Whilst for many others, who lived in Crimea, life seemed to go on, for me, the history of Crimea was divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ the annexation."

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Russia is trying to get rid of Ukrainian history and its language, but to its dismay there will always be some leftover evidence of Ukrainian history. Russia is also trying to use its status as a “sophisticated language” in order to get rid and replace Ukraine’s “country side language”. Despite replacing Ukrainian signs and literature their efforts of displaying their higher status backfires as all it does is show the absence of something still holds its value especially if you can see the absence.

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What caused this to happen was the occupation of Crimea, and Reshat Ametov was protesting oppression. We believe that the violence Reshat endured after being kidnapped by the Russian military shows the extreme power an influence Russia has, as no arrests or punishments have been made proceeding his murder, even though his murder is qualified as intentional homicide. This leads us to discuss how humanity and heroism plays into this, as Reshat was recognized as a hero of Ukraine.

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It is very interesting to see what Putin does in order to ignore the damage that is caused by Russia in multiple instances over history.

What are some ways in which Ukraine can learn from the mistakes of other territories that were taken by Russia in order to maintain their unity and strength and fight back to keep their lands and culture?

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My group's first reaction was that the way Russia invaded Ukraine carelessly, efficiently, and with so much firepower was shocking, then Russia completely denied that it ever happened. Surprisingly, so many people worldwide are completely unaware of Russia's actions. It was scary watching armed unmarked soldiers marching straight into land that wasn't theirs. A name used for these soldiers was "The Polite People" but my group feels that this name is hypocritical because the Unmarked Russian soldiers were actively invading and stealing Ukrainian land. My group believes Russia is completely aware of its actions and deliberately covers its tracks as much as possible. We think that Russia's greed for more land and power caused tensions between Ukraine to rise and Russia decided that it was bigger and stronger and began to invade.

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Russian efforts to diminish the power of other countries through destroying art, culture, literature, etc. is very important to acknowledge.

When speaking about Russia “knowing what they are doing” do you believe the people of Russia are aware of the horrific actions the government has taken and supports them?

Are the people of Russia also being manipulated by their government through propaganda and deserve to be aware of the full truth without bias?