Britain and the Soviet Union: Early Cultural Encounters
Description
The network aimed to examine the responses to the Soviet Union during its first decade since its formation in 1922, marking its centenary in 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted a study of the historical background and the enduring impact of the relationship between Britain and the constituent nations of the Soviet Union. The establishment of the Soviet Union held great political significance in Britain, both for the inhabitants of the British Isles and those under British imperial rule worldwide. The network focused on exploring the cultural expression of this political significance and understanding the distinct cultures of the Soviet Union's nations. The primary goal was to address these inquiries through interdisciplinary discussions and establish a recovery project.
Accessing relevant primary source materials from that period poses challenges as many journals remain undigitised, British agit-prop plays were seldom scripted, ballet choreography lacked documentation, music received sporadic reviews, and films were subject to censorship. Consequently, a key task for the network involved examining how local, national, imperial, and international power is conveyed through cultural forms and how these forms are interpreted as they traverse the globe.
The network's founding members represent disciplines such as English Literature, History, Music, Politics, and Slavonic Studies. However, participation was open to individuals from across the University and beyond. Each term, the network convened a lunchtime discussion group centred around a specific theme such as dance, imperialism, socialism, music, theatre, or film. While readings for these sessions were typically distributed in advance, attendance was welcome to all, regardless of whether they had reviewed the materials beforehand.
Offers funding
No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.
Founding year
2022
Contact details
The Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX2 6GG
On the map
Categorisation
Type
Project Tags
Parent infrastructure(s)
The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)
TORCH, part of the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, is a hub for intellectual collaboration and cross-disciplinary research projects. The Centre’s funding, trainin… read more about The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)
University Of Oxford
The Radcliffe Observatory Quarter
Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6GG
United Kingdom
University affiliation(s)
University of Oxford
Oxford
University of Oxford
Oxford
Last modified:
2024-05-30 16:49:13