Communist Era Research Articles

Parodying incompetence in (I)europa: Hearing glide insertion and communism in a Romanian politician's speech

AbstractMy paper asks which linguistic features become enregistered to a politician's image, and how this process occurs. I examine glide insertion in the speech of former Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă and parodies of her. As parody requires exaggeration of salient features in order to be legible, I use it to investigate what is heard as salient in Dăncilă's speech. Although glide insertion is uncharacteristic of Dăncilă's speech, parodies overrepresent Dăncilă's use of the feature. To explain this, I investigate social meanings of glide insertion through metalinguistic commentary and historical memory, finding that glide insertion links Dăncilă to Romania's Communist era. Though Dăncilă rarely uses glide insertion, the feature emblematizes her political persona. Treating parodic performance as reflecting a wider listening subject, I show the listening subject's ideologies influence the enregisterment of a feature to an individual; the process by which a politician's linguistic image arises is dialogic and heavily involves listeners.

Karel Kachyňa and The Holocaust: More Than Films for Children

Karel Kachyňa and The Holocaust: More Than Films for Children examines three Holocaust-themed works, Golden Eels (Zlatí úhoři, 1979), Death of a Beautiful Deer (Smrt krásných srnců, 1986) and The Last Butterfly (Poslední motýl, 1991), by Czech filmmaker Karel Kachyňa during the normalisation period of the Czechoslovak communist era. This work seeks to challenge the critical reception of Kachyňa’s normalisation era (1970-1989) works, where a focus on his use of children’s narratives and crude humour during the period has had a diminishing effect. Engaging with legitimate concerns over Kachyňa’s ability to continue to work following the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968 in Czechoslovakia when many of his New Wave contemporaries like Jiří Menzel and Věra Chytilová were banned and some like Miloš Forman felt compelled to emigrate, this work explores how Kachyňa’s Holocaust-themed works address the filmmaker’s attempts to produce a humanist poetics in the face of a dehumanising authoritarian regime, despite essentially working for the communist regime he was attempting to criticise. In generating analogies between the Nazi regime and his contemporaneous experience under communism, Kachyňa provides a powerfully subversive body of work which this article argues is deserving of greater attention in scholarship.

Unveiling the Subterranean Heritage: A Case Study of the Underground City of Kukës, Albania

Abstract This paper investigates the viability of conserving and repurposing Kukës’ underground city, which was built as a system of civil defence tunnels during the communist era in Albania. Beneath contemporary Kukës, the underground complex, which houses administrative offices and hospitals, is an important but underutilized historical and architectural asset. This study assesses the architectural elements, historical value, and present state of the tunnels using an extensive methodology that includes expert interviews, public consultations, on-site inspections, and archival research. Results highlight the site’s dual significance as a historical landmark and a possible center for innovation and tourism. The research offers strategic proposals for reviving the tunnels to strengthen the local economy, maintain cultural identity, and increase tourist attraction, drawing on foreign case studies. By promoting the inclusion of Kukës’ underground city in larger regional development projects and considering both community goals and pragmatic concerns, the article adds to the current conversations in urban planning and cultural preservation. Sustaining and repurposing Kukës’ underground city has various benefits, including enhanced cultural tourism and economic resurgence that encourage sustainable growth, the paper points out. Still, challenges like deteriorating infrastructure, security concerns, and accessibility issues must be overcome. Urban planners and politicians can apply the research’s practical implications by using it to develop a model for cultural preservation that aligns with modern social and economic goals. A sense of shared identity and legacy among the local community’s members is fostered by the initiative, which has significant social implications as well. The study has some drawbacks, including the need for significant funding and the potential for opposition from groups who do not recognize the advantages of these kinds of initiatives. To summarise, this research highlights the potential of adaptive reuse to bolster the sustainability and resilience of urban ecosystems by offering useful guidance and strategies that may be used to comparable initiatives worldwide.

DIDACTIC ANALYSIS OF THE PANSLAVISTIC MYTHOLOGY IN THE PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS OF IVAN MIRCHUK

In the article, the author analyzes the views of the leading ideologues of the concept of pan-Slavism in the Russian Empire, who, according to Ivan Mirchuk, had a decisive influence on the formation of the modern ideological mythologeme of the hegemony of the Russian state on a planetary scale and contributed to the deepening of ideological differences between Western and Eastern civilizations. Using the example of the arguments of representatives of the Slavophile stream of Russian Pan-Slavism regarding its messianic role in the history of the Slavic peoples, the researcher proves the absurdity of the very idea of the superiority of one nation over another. At the same time, intelligence focuses the reader’s attention on those dangerous tendencies of the spread of this theory, which in the future may lead to global world conflicts with catastrophic consequences.Following the further development of the ideology of pan-Slavism during the second half of the 20th century, the researcher reveals the process of transformation of Moscow messianism into the leading role of the now Soviet (Soviet) people in world history, which received its theoretical embodiment in the concept of pan-Sovietism. It was she who contributed to the final consolidation of the lawless position of the Slavic peoples within the framework of a single state entity on the territory of Eastern Europe, and the emergence of a new socio-cultural generation with an ideologically shaped rejection of values contrary to communist ideals and a negative attitude towards the entire surrounding world.The research methodology is based on the philosophical-anthropological and psychological analysis of the key ideas of the concept of pan-Slavism and pan-Sovietism in the historical-philosophical studies of I. Mirchuk. In particular, we used formal-logical, critical and hermeneutic methods of research to reveal the process of transformation of the pan-Slavism mythology in modern Russia and its influence on the socio-political life of other Slavic peoples. Among the general scientific methods, the methods of deduction and comparison came in handy, which helped to analyze the views of individual representatives of various pan-Slavic currents on the problem of uniting the Slavic peoples into a single ethnic substratum in different historical time periods. And the principles of objectivity and systematicity helped us dispel the myth of Russian messianism among other Slavic peoples.Conclusion. Thus, the main mythologeme of the ideology of Pan-Slavism in the studies of the Slavic scholar I. Mirchuk was reduced to the messianic role of Russia and its people, as the leader among the entire Slavic world, in relation to all other, primarily European nations. Neglecting the historical and spiritual contribution to the development of the world culture of other nations and peoples, the Moscow Empire to this day continues to call itself the only center of true Christian traditions, which strives to lead the planet to a better future. Declaring itself the successor of the Roman Empire as the “Third Rome”, Muscovy, and later the Soviet Union, completely usurped the right of other Slavic peoples of the continent to independently choose their own path of state formation and social development.The transformational processes experienced by pan-Slavism at the beginning of the 20th century brought only the change of the name of the ideology to pan-Sovietism, fully preserving the essence of the imperial unity principle in all spheres of social and political life of the communist era. According to the leading communist ideologues, all the best that the world had could be found only in the Soviet Union, or rather in its capital. Other Slavic peoples got the desired equality only in the negative attitude of the center towards any manifestations of their own spiritual identity and economic initiatives, which were instantly punished by brutal repression and physical destruction under the slogans of finding non-existent enemies of the people and invented counter-revolutionary activities. The theoretically attractive idea of the special purpose of the Slavic peoples in the international arena has in practice turned into an imperial totalitarian dictatorship of one country, which wanted only one thing – world domination.

Between Politics and Justice: International Criminal Law in Hungary

Abstract Hungary has had an intense engagement with international criminal justice. During communism and democracy alike, the normative framework and language of international criminal law was used to delegitimise the political opponent. This article aims to describe the way international criminal law was repeatedly instrumentalized to not simply serve as a genuine tool for justice but also as a potent political pawn through presenting the use of international criminal law in four different time periods: (1) during the post-World War ii war crimes trials at the People’s Tribunals; (2) the adoption of universal jurisdiction during the communist era as a tool of Cold War status competition; (3) in the 1990s, as an instrument of transitional justice; and finally, (4) in the post-2010s, as a tool for memory politics and anti-migration propaganda.

“They are all here to see and touch”

The sanctuary of St Anthony of Padua (Kisha e Shna Ndout) in Laç, northern Albania, is one of the most visited religious places in Albania. The small church, built there and ministered by Franciscans, is now an impressive place of worship frequented by Catholics, Muslims and Christian Orthodox. Throughout the year, pilgrims from across the country, but also from Kosovo, visit the sanctuary. On the 12th and 13th of June of each year, an official pilgrimage is held, which reaches its climax on the night of the 12th when many thousands of Albanians sleep in the shrine seeking blessings and healing. This article aims to explore pilgrimage-related practices, wherein arises materiality as a privileged means of reaching out to the divine and as a reaction to silencing during the communist era (1945–1991). Such practices are overshadowed by nationalist discourse, in which ethnic-linguistic membership outweighs the religious one, even undermining procedural and terminological normativity.

Public Perception of Accommodation Structures in the Cultural Landscape: An Exploration of Integration and Significance

Since the end of the communist era in Romania (c. 1989) an economic shift has influenced new construction in the rural parts of the region. New construction faces challenges due to a potential clash between the historic architectural style of the region and the surrounding environment that has been highlighted by the architectural guidebooks from the Romanian Order of Architects. Research surrounding the preference of the region’s inhabitants is limited. A survey was conducted to analyze three main questions and their significance for individuals native to the region and for specialists. This survey addresses how the respondents (1) will define the blending (and the differences between blending and integration), (2) how respondents evaluate the blending of construction styles, and (3) if it is important to pay attention to the visual impact of new construction. These architectural considerations were identified after a literature review illuminated concerns regarding landscape blending disparities due to new construction and where the survey was conducted using a diverse sample population of individuals who were engaged in the study via social media. Respondents were shown images of buildings and asked to rate the blending of these structures with the cultural landscape using a scale from one to five. The survey data were collected and analyzed to determine preferences in each key area. The findings indicate that respondents perceive blending as a valuable tool, with a significant visual impact, favoring positive examples irrespective of their professional background. Notably, there is a substantial preference for positive examples over negative ones regarding color. However, respondents without experience in the field tend to choose negative options more often. Researchers anticipate that these findings could inform the planning process and aid in seamlessly integrating new construction with the traditional and natural elements of the region.

Scrisori din exil, by Matei Călinescu and Ion Vianu - Exercises of Sincerity

This article is a detailed presentation of the volume „Scrisori din exil. Corespondență inedită”, edited by Humanitas in 2019, whose authors are Matei Călinescu and Ion Vianu. Among other important aspects, the article deals with the premises and consequences of the Romanian exile, in general, and of the exile lived by two great personalities of Romanian culture: Ion Vianu and Matei Călinescu in particular. It also discusses the problem of the search for identity, the alienation that arose as a result of the division of identity into a true and a false one, but which was especially present in social relations during the communist era and the ways of protecting true identity from the terror of history.

Translating Soviet Moldova’s Language Politics: Observations on Tatiana Ţîbuleac’s The Glass Garden in Spanish Translation

Grădina de sticlă (The Glass Garden) is the second novel by the prize-winning Moldovan and Romanian author Tatiana Ţîbuleac. Set in Soviet Chişinău towards the end of the communist era, the book is narrated by a Moldovan-speaking young girl who has been adopted by an elderly Russian-speaking woman. Language and identity play key roles in the book, as the child is encouraged to forgo the Moldovan language and to learn how to speak Russian, the language of Soviet prestige and power. This personal struggle occurs against the background of the major sociopolitical and linguistic changes of perestroika and beyond, including the independence of Moldova, and is reflected by the fact that the text of the novel itself (though originally written in Ro-manian) is sprinkled with words and phrases in untransliterated Russian. Accordingly, noting that this complex linguistic situation could conceivably pose a challenge for translators of the novel into other languages, this study contrasts the original with its Spanish version, El jardín de vidrio. The aim is to show how, as part of the legacy of Soviet rule, the enduring complexities of Moldova’s linguistic and socio-political situation can be rendered through translation. Focussing initially on how the Spanish translation deals with the general features of Moldova’s language situation, it then moves to detailing how the novel’s frequent usage of Russian and the Cyrillic script is accommodated in the translated version. Lastly, selected aspects centring on the interplay between languages (e.g. differences in script and lexis, wordplay, misspellings) are scrutinised.

ІСТОРІЯ ЄВРЕЙСЬКОЇ ГРОМАДИ ТА СИНАГОГ НА ТЕРИТОРІЇ М. ХАРКІВ

The article explores the history of the Jewish community in Kharkiv and the role that synagogues played in its life. Focusing on the significance of synagogues as centers of spiritual and cultural life, the article emphasizes their importance in shaping the city's cultural landscape. Through the analysis of historical sources and documents, the article unfolds the process of the Jewish community's development in Kharkiv and the challenges it faced over the years. In the early stages of Kharkiv's development, the Jewish community was an integral part of urban life. Synagogues became gathering places not only for religious ceremonies but also for the exchange of news, discussions, and important decisions for the community. They played a key role in preserving cultural traditions, education, and the preservation of language and rituals. However, the history of the Jewish community in Kharkiv also reflects challenges and upheavals. Political and social changes, such as revolutions, wars, and periods of repression, significantly influenced its life. Synagogues remained important during these turbulent times, often becoming centers of support and hope for the community. They played a role not only in the religious sphere but also in supporting social and charitable initiatives. Additionally, the article examines the influence of political, social, and cultural factors on the Jewish community and its synagogues. For example, the period of severe restrictions during the communist era affected religious practices and the free expression of cultural identity. In such conditions, synagogues became not only places of prayer but also symbols of resilience and faith in the future. The article provides important insights into how synagogues influenced the development and life of the Jewish community in Kharkiv during different historical periods. It emphasizes not only the religious significance of these buildings but also their importance in shaping the social and cultural identity of the community.

For the greater good: modern China’s struggle on housing shortage

The examination of housing shortages in China presents a fascinating subject that is rarely directly addressed. This topic not only captures our interest due to the irony in a communist country but also in light of the profound transformation of Chinese society, evolving from an agrarian civilization to a modern industrialized state. The objective of this essay is to establish a comprehensive framework that encompasses economic, social, and architectural narratives as an integrated whole. This essay delves into the historical trajectory of housing shortages in modern China, tracing the evolution of this issue within Chinese society since the founding of the communist regime in 1949. Given China’s unique industrial and residential policy framework, housing provision is intrinsically linked to state-owned factories and residential certification, commonly referred to as hukou. As the political and economic foundations have shifted over time, so too has the root cause of housing shortages. In addition to general historical and theoretical research, we have undertaken an in-depth examination of Lanxi City, one of the industrial clusters established in China. The case study of Lanxi City involves a series of visits and interviews conducted within local factories and communities. Our analysis identifies two distinct phases in this evolution: the “fundamentalist communist era” and the transitional period toward a market economy. Each of these eras can be further subdivided into four distinct phases, providing a more nuanced perspective. Our findings reveal that various housing distribution mechanisms have contributed to the issue of housing shortages. During the first era, housing shortages were primarily a result of hukou restrictions, industrial disparities, sluggish construction processes, and corporate profit considerations. In the latter phase, spanning the 1980s and 1990s, housing shortages were exacerbated by escalating costs and a slow rate of housing unit replenishment. As the new millennium unfolded, real estate bubbles compounded the housing crisis, with older neighborhoods ill-suited for modern living. Our interviews and visits complemented our literature research, offering valuable insights into the systemic exploitation of specific groups in pursuit of broader goals, hence the title. This paper underscores the housing shortage in China as a consequence of economic disparities between urban and rural regions, as well as between the prosperous East coast and the underdeveloped West hinterland.

Dzielni Polacy ratują getto? Kilka uwag o relacjach polsko-żydowskich i zagładzie w narracji Zjednoczonej Prawicy

The martyrdom of the nation, including the crimes committed against the Polish population by Germans, Soviets or Ukrainians, occupies an important place in the historical policy promoted by the United Right camp. The actions of the authorities give the impression that they are trying to equate the fate of Jews and Poles during the war and, moreover, to erase from the collective memory the crimes committed against Jews by their Polish neighbours during the war. This is not a new procedure, also during the communist era shameful pages of Polish history were tried to be hidden. However, after 2015, the narrative promoted by the United Right on the attitudes of Poles towards the Holocaust goes further: not only are difficult matters kept silent, but attitudes testifying to the heroism and generosity of Poles in saving Jews are promoted in every way, in an attempt to convince public opinion at home and abroad that these attitudes were universal. To paraphrase a well-known poem by Czesław Miłosz and an essay by Jan Błoński, not - "Poor Poles look at the ghetto", but - "Brave Poles save the ghetto". The article is an attempt to comment on post-2015 historical politics in the context of Polish-Jewish relations during the German occupation on the basis of literature on the subject and media statements and reports.

The Sinicization of jazz: Exploring the rise and fall of jazz cultures in Shanghai from the colonial to the communist eras

The Sinicization of jazz: Exploring the rise and fall of jazz cultures in Shanghai from the colonial to the communist eras

Missing Persons from the Communist Era in Albania as a Human Rights Challenge

Although more than three decades have passed since the fall of communism in Albania, nothing is still known about the burial place of over 6,000 missing persons. Family members still do not know the truth about the fate of their missing relatives. Such a thing not only represents a serious violation of the right to life, but has been causing a continuous suffering to the relatives of the missing people. During the last decades, a number of international and domestic laws have focused on the state obligation to create the necessary approach and mechanisms to handle this issue. The paper aims to make an analysis of the legal status of the missing people from the communist era in international and domestic law. In particular, the paper aims to examine domestic measures about this issue. The paper supports the hypothesis that despite the legal and institutional measures undertaken, the issue of missing persons from the communist era in Albania still represents a social and human rights challenge. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Legal and Canonical Mechanisms for the Oppression of Orthodox Priests during the Communist Regime in Romania. Case Study: Father Arsenie Boca

The Communist regime in Romania sought to subordinate various societal sectors, including the judicial system and religious denominations, to its ideological goals. This study delves into the relationship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Communist authorities, highlighting the various legal and canonical strategies employed to exert control over religious entities. Specifically, the research focuses on the Romanian Orthodox Church’s alignment with Communist regulations, leading to legitimacy and canonicity in state interventions. Through an examination of legal sources and archival materials, the study emphasizes the changing dynamics of religious freedom in Romania during the Communist era. An in-depth prosopographical investigation is conducted into the case of Father Arsenie Boca, shedding light on the canonical framework of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the early Communist years and its implications for a modern understanding of this period.

Tadeusz Różewicz and the Neighbors. Literature, Rememberingand the Production of Locality

The article discusses Tadeusz Różewicz’s role in shaping the locality of Wrocław. Localityis defi ned as a discourse that delineates interpersonal relations and the connections between socialgroups or individuals with places and objects in their immediate space. It encompasses beliefs,perceptions, emotions, or narratives accompanying these interactions. Drawing on the writer’s literaryworks and other statements as well as on his biography – considered as mediums of localidentity – the article describes Różewicz’s infl uence on the production of this discourse. It alsoexamines the practices of commemorating and remembering the poet, which utilize his personaor literary legacy. The key research questions are: Who and how shapes Różewicz’s locality discourse?Is it a product of city institutions and political-cultural elites, or does it have a neighborly,familial, or private character? Is the local collective memory of the communist era or the pre-wartime present in it, and if so, how?

Od zapominania do (u)pamięt(ni)ania? Wrocławskie elity o niemieckim dziedzictwie stolicy Dolnego Śląska

The status of German heritage in Wrocław is rather specific, and has been changing over the past seven decades under the influence of not only state and local politics, but also the biographical experiences of successive generations of residents. Calling German heritage troublesome is a frequently used rhetorical figure as well as — or perhaps primarily as — an epithet describing a social fact. This article aims to provide answers concerning the troublesome nature of German heritage for contemporary Wrocław elites. The empirical material comprises unstructured interviews conducted in 2011 and 2022, on the basis of which the relationship between the German heritage and persons occupying specific privileged positions in the social structure of the capital of Lower Silesia was determined. As the study proceeded, three types of approach to this relationship emerged. The first considers the relationship with German heritage unproblematic — either due to it being made “ours,” or because of it being treated superficially. The second approach recognizes the troublesome nature of this relationship, resulting from the tensions between local and national memory policy, including the state’s historical policy offering an antagonistic vision of Polish-German relations. The third type points to the relationship being troublesome due to the attitude to German heritage during the communist era; the memory of this difficult relationship with the heritage back then, and contemporary efforts to restore memory of Wrocław’s pre-1945 history. The approaches thus identified are present in the stories, regardless of the time — they can be found both when the city’s multicultural identity and local memory were intensively discussed a decade ago, and today, when the city is addressing new urban challenges.

Preservation and heritage protection of the archaeological remains of prison and forced labour camps from the period of Nazi occupation and the Communist era in West Bohemia

This article presents research on the material remains of Nazi and post-war communist prison and forced labour camps in West Bohemia (1939-1945 and 1949-1961). The location of a sample of 35 camps was carried out using historical evidence and aerial images from the 1940s and 1950s. Non-invasive surveys and small-scale excavations of selected camps revealed the preservation of the archaeological record and its attributes, which are closely linked to the subsequent use of the sites. The spatial context showed an interconnection of the camp system with WWII as well as Cold War armament production. The heritage protection of these sites, the current state of memorials and the contemporary utilisation of the camp areas has also been examined. Research has shown the potential of neglected archaeological evidence of places of mass repressions, where crimes against humanity were committed by totalitarian regimes in the former Czechoslovakia. It has also revealed the disturbing fact that these sites have been disappearing at an alarming rate without any documentation, as a result of development and construction activities.

Possibilities and limits of development of technical museums in Ostrava region in the nineteenth–twenty-first centuries

The paper analyses the ways in which the idea of the technical museum developed in the industrial region of Ostrava in the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The issue is determined by political, economic and cultural changes in the following time periods: from the end of Austro-Hungarian monarchy (until 1918); the first Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938); WWII (1938–1945); post-war development, the so called Third Republic (1945–1948); the communist era (1948–1989); and from 1989 to the present. The development was always determined by whether the idea of the regional technical museum was interesting to powerful and intellectual elites, and what the response was from broader society – hence the significance of newspaper articles and other period reflections of the situation.

Solidarność, wspólnota i etyka w kontekście humanistyki zaangażowanej (współczesne powieści historyczne dla młodego odbiorcy jako przykłady literatury sprawczej)

The purpose of the article is to analyze and interpret contemporary Polish novels for young people that portray the image of the People’s Republic of Poland. These works provoke young readers to discuss historical issues and help build historical awareness and social memory. The times of Solidarity, the period of martial law and – in a broader context – the social and moral realities of the communist era as literary subjects are excellent examples of this. Literary “provocations” and controversial evaluation of events in the books discussed in this text are often realized through narrative challenges, such as “private” narratives (micro-stories) modeled on stories of family life, strengthening the understanding of the culture of memory (collective and individual), the perspective of a child/teenage protagonist, the unconventionality and innovation of the authors’ artistic creation, the strength of which are political allusions and elements of historical politics recognizable at a deeper level of meaning. Treated as literary endeavors (e.g., from the perspective of the poetics of everyday life exposing the phenomena of modus vivendi and modus adaptandi), they create in the stories a platform for discussion about solidarity and community of action by audiences of different ages, provoking difficult intergenerational dialogue and reflection on martial law or – more broadly – the communist period.