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Δευτέρα 3 Ιουνίου 2013

“Mythological models and ritual behaviour in the Soviet and post-Soviet sphere”.

From: Mikhail Alekseevsky <alekseevsky@yandex.ru>
Date: June 3, 2013 9:53:37 AM GMT+03:00

Dear colleagues,

on September 26–28, 2013, the Centre for Typological and Semiotic  Folklore Studies at 
the Russian State University for the Humanities  (Moscow) will hold an international 
conference “Mythological models  and ritual behaviour in the Soviet and post-Soviet 
sphere”.

The Soviet ideology whose aim was to construct a new world was  explicitly based on a 
rationalistic, materialistic paradigm and  denounced anything mythological and 
super-rational. At the same time,  however, it actively used traditional images and 
religious metaphors  in its quest for creating a new Soviet person, and even people 
opposed  to the Soviet system not infrequently shaped their protest using the  very same 
mythological models and dichotomies. In other words, the  loyalty to the system as well 
as the opposition towards it was marked  by means of a complex and heterogeneous system 
of mythological texts,  prohibitions, and prescriptions. As a consequence of this, some 
of the  patterns formed during the Soviet era continue to be potent in the  post-Soviet 
period. At the same time we see the emergence of new  mythological complexes and 
practices based to a large extent on the  opposition towards the values of the Soviet era.

The main aim of the conference is to trace these processes in their  diachrony and 
analyse their manifestations and interrelations at  particular points of time. 
Presentations investigating the following  topics are the most welcome:

•        taboos and euphemisms;
•        transformations of traditional mythological beliefs;
•        mechanisms used in the creation of the anti-Soviet ideology;
•        the emergence of the new ritualistic culture;
•        new magical beliefs and practices;
•        legendary biographies of political leaders and national heroes;
•        impostors and hoaxers of the Soviet era;
•        the scientific progress as the basis of the new mythology;
•        the anthropology of money in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods;
•        falsification of historical documents as a means of constructing a  mythology.

The deadline for abstract submissions is July 1, 2013. An abstract  (not exceeding 300 
words) including the description of the material to  be analysed in the presentation and 
the formulation of the problem, as  well as the information about the author (name, 
degree, affiliation, e- mail, and phone number), should be sent to sovietmyth@gmail.com
The  decision on the inclusion of the presentation in the conference  programme will be 
made by July 20.

The conference will be divided into several sessions. Each of them  will commence with a 
lection by an invited keynote speaker on the  problem relevant for the section’s main 
topic. Sections will include  from three to five participants. All presentations will be 
followed by  a short review made by a specially invited scholar. Each section will  end 
with questions and general discussion.

The papers presented at the conference should be accompanied by a  PowerPoint 
presentation and, if possible, by distribution of handouts.

The working languages of the conference are Russian and English.

Please bear it in mind that the conference proceedings will be  published in advance. 
Consequently, all the participants whose talk  will be included in the programme should 
submit the full text of their  paper not exceeding 2000 words before September 1, 2013. 
The style  sheet will be provided in due time.

Unfortunately, we are unable to cover any transportation and  accommodation costs.

The organising committee:
Mikhail Alekseevsky (SRCRF), Alexandra Arkhipova (CTSFS RSUH), Jacob  Fruchtmann 
(Forschungstelle Osteuropa, Bremen), Olga Khristoforova  (CTSFS RSUH), Sergey Neklyudov 
(CTSFS RSUH), Anna Sokolova (Institute  for Ethnology and Anthropology RAS).

Contacts:
E-mail: sovietmyth@gmail.com
Tel.: +74999734354
Coordinator of the conference: Natalya Petrova (CTSFS RSUH)

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