May 2: Reading Circles by

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 14:51:33 UTC

Almost all:

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.
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?

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?

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

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

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:19:47 UTC

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

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:22:16 UTC

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

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:25:11 UTC

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

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:27:58 UTC

6 signs forgotten to be erased pp. 15 - 17

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:30:39 UTC

7 my question to the article by Volvach

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:33:41 UTC

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.

8 Surgun (exile)

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 15:44:42 UTC

Amir, Emira

9 from 90 % (1783) of Crimeans in Crimea to 13 % (2015)

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 16:00:18 UTC

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/

10 human rights in Crimea

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 16:01:45 UTC

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

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

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 16:05:12 UTC

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

12 Russian counternarrative from "Russian Mir" to Volvach

mprikhod — 2024-05-02 16:08:14 UTC

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

Edwin and Gage

2024-05-02 17:38:50 UTC

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.

Natalie and Noe

natalieefol — 2024-05-02 17:41:12 UTC

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".

Human rights in Crimea (Natalija and Theo)

2024-05-02 17:41:28 UTC

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.

Pervasive Absence -- Blank Walls

2024-05-02 17:42:29 UTC

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.

Safa and Alen Response

2024-05-02 17:42:31 UTC

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.

Elliot and Bekim

2024-05-02 17:42:41 UTC

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."

"Semiotic Landscape" in train station Sela and Khadija

2024-05-02 17:43:32 UTC

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.

Response

2024-05-02 17:47:22 UTC

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?

Response Team Reactions

2024-05-02 17:49:25 UTC

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?

Bekim and Gage

2024-05-02 17:50:32 UTC

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.

2024-05-02 17:51:51 UTC

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.

Response Team Reactions

2024-05-02 17:53:09 UTC

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?

Elliot and Alen

2024-05-02 17:53:24 UTC

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.

Maggie and Khadija - Polite People statue

2024-05-02 17:53:59 UTC

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.

Response

2024-05-02 17:54:15 UTC

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?

2 omnipresent Soviet street names and farmer's market

2024-05-02 17:54:17 UTC

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."

Jesus & Noe

2024-05-02 17:54:42 UTC

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.

Sela and Natalie

2024-05-02 17:57:07 UTC

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.

Response Team Reactions

2024-05-02 17:59:10 UTC

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?

Ethan, Safa

2024-05-02 17:59:42 UTC

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.

Response Team Reactions

2024-05-02 18:04:48 UTC

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?