{"id":104,"date":"2026-03-04T14:32:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/vera-conference-2026\/?page_id=104"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:18:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T13:18:46","slug":"conference-programme","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/vera-conference-2026\/conference-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Conference Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

25 May 2026, Pre-conference, doctoral workshop<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.15-16.00  Opening of the pre-Conference, Dr., Title of Docent, Joni Virkkunen<\/strong>, Director of the VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies (UEF)

Keynote by Professor Sanna Turoma<\/strong>, Tampere University: Geopolitics \u2014 Everywhere and Nowhere? A View from Cultural Studies<\/em>

Papers by doctoral students<\/strong> with expert & peer comments

Repurposing the Sacred: The Soviet Organ between Cultural Politics and Musical Practice<\/em> by Mila Thoors, Sibelius Academy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soldier representations in Russian Volkhov river song lyrics as expressions of cultural hegemony and critique<\/em> by Maija H\u00e4m\u00e4l\u00e4inen-Abdessamad, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case of Anna Netrebko, Putin\u00b4s nightingale in the West?  How the cancellation of an opera diva shows one reality of the soft power influence<\/em> by Schulgin Sofia, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transmitting family memory as a practice in families of people in their 30s in contemporary Russia<\/em> by Irina Kapitonova, University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shamanism, Cultural Sovereignty and Ontological Security: Negotiating Indigenous Identities in Southern Siberia<\/em> by Daria Kuznetsova, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identity Performance in the Northern Ireland Assembly: The Irish Language as a site of political contestation<\/em> by Mair\u00e9ad Lordan, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17.00-21.00  <\/strong>Snacks, Film screening, and hangout<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost in Russia<\/em><\/strong> (2023, 33 minutes). While having snacks, we will screen the film in the presence of its narrator and director, Ms Sanni Naukkarinen<\/strong>. She will introduce the film and discuss the filmmaking process, which was part of her MA studies at the Arctic University of Norway. The event will conclude with an informal hangout.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—————————–<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

26 May 2026, Conference Day 1<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.00-9.15 \u00a0Opening of the Conference <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.15-10.30 Keynote talk I <\/strong>
Chair & Discussant: Professor Simo Mikkonen (UEF)

<\/strong>Unfinished Pasts, Contested Presents: Decolonisation or Recolonisation? A Georgian Perspective on Culture and Power <\/em>by Associate Professor Nana Sharikadze<\/strong> (Caucasus University, Georgia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.30-12.00 Panel discussion 1: Culture as Civic activism in the ex-Soviet area, and beyond<\/strong>

Chair: <\/strong>Professor Marja Sorvari (UEF); Panellists: <\/strong>Dr. Connor Doak (University of Birmingham, UK), Associate Professor Nana Sharikadze (Caucasus University, Georgia), Professor Pekka Suutari (UEF)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.00-13.00  Lunch break<\/strong> (self-funded)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13.00-14.30  Paper session 1: Art, Sound and Storytelling, <\/strong>room AU206, Chair: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Imaginaries of Borders: A Contextual Reflection through Arts-Based Research, Folklore and Comics<\/em> by Kari Korolainen, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft noises and silence: a sound artist looking for a way in anti-war expression<\/em> by Kalev Tiits, Sibelius Academy of the University of Arts Helsinki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Letters That Stitch the Border<\/em> by Jaakko Ruuska, University of Lapland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14.30-15.00  Coffee <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15.00-16.30<\/strong> Paper session 2a: Memory and Belonging in the Wake of Russia\u2019s Invasion of Ukraine<\/strong>, room AU206, Chair: Tamara Polyakova, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethnic belonging and multimedia textile art from Russia’s national republics<\/em> by Eeva Kuikka, University of Turku<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queering the vyshyvanka: Activism and belonging during the Russo-Ukrainian war<\/em> by Vassa Yakymets, University of Eastern Finland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporality of an Unfinished War: Visual Culture as a Space for Mediating Experiences<\/em> by Olesia Herashchenko, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paper session 2b:<\/strong> Culture, Expression and Political Change<\/strong>, room AU102, Chair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The colour evolutions and memory <\/em>by John Nelson, University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking the Silence: Punalippu and the Rediscovery of Finnish Histories under Glasnost<\/em> by Anna Laakkonen, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between Tradition and Geopolitics: The Political Uses of Culture in Bulgaria<\/em> by Hristo Dokov, Sofia University, Bulgaria
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19.00   Dinner and Get-together (for registered participants), <\/strong>Winter Swimming Centre Joensuu Polar Bears <\/em> <\/strong><\/a>Club, M\u00e4ntyniementie 1.

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

27 May 2026, Conference Day 2<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.15-10.30 <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Keynote talk II\u00a0<\/strong>
Chair & Discussant: Dr Pauliina Lukinmaa (UEF)

Choking on Words: Russophone Anti-War Poetry on the Invasion of Ukraine<\/em>
by Dr Connor Doak<\/strong> (University of Bristol, UK)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.30-12.00 <\/strong> Panel discussion 2: State uses of culture as power in the contemporary world<\/strong>

Chair: <\/strong>Professor Olga Davydova-Minguet (UEF); Panellists: <\/strong>Dr. Julia Bethwaite (Tampere University), Professor Katharina Kunter (University of Helsinki), Dr. Jussi M\u00e4kel\u00e4 (UEF), Professor Sanna Turoma (Tampere University)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.00-13.00  Lunch break <\/strong>(self-funded)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13.00-14.30  Paper session 3a<\/strong>: Language, ideology and power<\/strong>,room AU206, Chair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hold of Ideology on Linguistic Theories<\/em> by Elena Bratishenko, University of Calgary, Canada<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of political biases on research on Russian culture in Finland<\/em> by Larisa Leisi\u00f6, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empowerment through culture in a host society: Russian-language cultural NGOs in Finland <\/em>by Tatiana Romashko and Rasa \u017dakevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paper session 3b: Cultural politics of memory<\/strong>, room AU102; Chair:

Transnational or Sovereign Muisti (Memory)? Ukrainian and Russian-Speaking Migrants as Museum Visitors<\/em> by Tetiana Nahirniak, Daria Agapova, Olga Davydova-Minguet, Olga Filippova, UEF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Lenin Museum to Nootti: Reframing Soviet Heritage in Contemporary Finland<\/em> by Lopatkina Katarina, The Nootti museum and The Finnish Labour Museum Werstas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representing Women in War Narratives from World War I to World War II: Continuities and Disruptions<\/em> by Polyakova Tamara, UEF, and Olga Simonova, University of Turku<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14.30-15.00 Coffee break<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15.00-16.30  Paper session 4:<\/strong> Borders, power, cultural resistance<\/strong>, room AU206, Chair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border Sensitivity in the Context of Changing Geopolitics <\/em>by Gleb Yarovoy, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negotiating Iconography in Bishkek and Ulaanbaatar: Remain, Replace, Reorientate, Return<\/em> by Alexander Diener, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skovoroda, Zhadan, Reggae and Cultural Resistance in Kharkiv: Towards Emotional Citizenship Perspective<\/em> by Olga Filippova, UEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16.30   End of the Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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