As part of the annual forum Decolonising Worldviews for Security in Europe, which will take place on 28 April in Copenhagen, the topic of culture as one of the key instruments of influence and domination will be addressed for the third time. This was announced on its Facebook page by the Ukrainian House in Denmark.
This year’s Panel III — Rethinking the narrative of “great Russian culture” and restoring the rights of subjugated peoples — will be dedicated to analysing the cultural narratives that have historically supported Russian imperialism.
Participants in the discussion will examine how the idea of cultural superiority has shaped perceptions of the region and contributed to the suppression of non-Russian identities. The first part of the panel — Deconstructing ‘great Russian culture’ — will focus on critiquing the notion of Russian culture as universal and representative.
The discussion will feature artist, lecturer and activist Katya Margolis; Aset Sabb, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria; and Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Temporary Special Commission on the Formation of State Policy Regarding Indigenous Peoples. Oleh Magaletskyy will moderate the session.
The speakers are expected to discuss the role of culture in shaping hierarchies, normalising domination, and marginalising alternative histories and voices. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of language as an instrument of power.