Symposium “Echoes of Empire: Soviet Monuments and the Machinery of Disinformation”

Over two days, German and international historians, legal experts, artists, curators, and political decision-makers will discuss how monuments from the Soviet era continue to shape collective memory and political discourse in Europe.


The program includes panel discussions and case studies that offer comparative perspectives on the reappraisal of totalitarian pasts.


A special focus is on international experiences:

What strategies have been developed elsewhere to deal with the material and symbolic legacies of Soviet rule – and what insights can be gained from these for Germany?


Speakers at the symposium include:

• Dr. Artis Pabriks – Chairman of the Northern Defence Policy Centre, former Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia
  
• Prof. Dr. Andrij Portnov – Historian, Director of the PRISMA UKRACNA Research Network Eastern Europe
  
• Dr. Ana Milošević – Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leuven Institute of Criminology, KU Leuven Faculty of Law
  
• Dr. Anna Kaminsky – Director of the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship
  

The symposium is part of Berlin Freedom Week (November 8–15, 2025) and serves as the official pre-event of the series.

• Registration is open - please register by October 29
  
• English and German (simultaneous translation will be provided)
  

Organizers and Partners:

The symposium is organized by the Ukrainian Institute in Germany, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Berlin, the Polish Institute Berlin, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Germany, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Germany, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Germany, and the Lithuanian Cultural Institute.

The event is financially supported by the Federal Foreign Office.

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