Inspired by Serhii Plokhii’s work in deconstructing imperial Russian historical narratives, this workshop questions to what extent state-centered approaches have bound the historical imagination of our various fields and defined the topics that count as significant. Via utilizing ulterior archives, including: the publications of Iranian student activists in 1970s’ France, novels of famous Kyrgyz authors, folk songs connected to plantation labor, and imagined conversations with SS commanders – our four speakers each seek to “decolonize” hegemonic narratives, and, in so doing, create decolonial methodologies for research.

Panelists:

Chandrica Barua (Graduate Student, English Language and Literature, University of Michigan)
Azhar Dyussekenova (Graduate Student, Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan)
Keanu M. Heydari (Graduate Student, History, University of Michigan)
Sara Ruiz (Graduate Student, Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan)
Sikandar Kumar (Postdoctoral Fellow, Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, University of Michigan)

This event presented by the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. It is made possible in part by a generous contribution from Kenneth and Frances Aftel Eisenberg.