Post-Socialist Memory
in Times of Crises and Speculation
3rd PoSoCoMeS – MSA Working Group conference
22-24 January, 2026 — Yerevan State University — Yerevan, Armenia
Call for papers
The Post-Socialist and Comparative Memory Studies (PoSoCoMeS) working group is part of the Memory Studies Association. We aim to bring together researchers, activists, and practitioners working in and on post-socialist countries. We call for regional as well as trans-regional comparative studies that connect Eastern Europe and Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and result in broad conceptualizations of post-socialist memories. At our 3rd conference, we aim to explore in particular the theme of
Post-Socialist Memory in Times of Crises and Speculation
In the face of profound regional crises – military, diplomatic, and humanitarian – the ways in which post-socialist communities – and their leaders – remember and reinterpret the past are undergoing significant transformations. Across the formerly Soviet and socialist world, memory has become an intensely contested space where historical narratives are challenged, appropriated, and weaponized. Far from a repository of shared experiences, memory in the post-socialist space (as in other contexts across the globe) is a dynamic battleground where competing versions of history vie for dominance – a process sometimes closely entwined with current warfare itself.
The conference will place a special emphasis on its venue, devoting additional attention to Armenia and the South Caucasus – an ever-evolving post-socialist region where the field of memory remains in a constant state of flux and remaking. Collective memory in this region functions as a palimpsest, mixing deep historical myths, affinities, and animosities with lingering Soviet-era stereotypes and rapidly shifting contemporary aspirations. Furthermore, Armenia is a land imbued with the memories of displaced populations. In the early twentieth century, it provided refuge to thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire (1915–1923), while in recent years (2020–2023), it has become a sanctuary for over 120,000 refugees from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), who were forced to flee due to military pressure. The memory of forced migration, in the context of ongoing contemporary crises, introduces new dimensions to the already complex humanitarian, emotional, and legal challenges faced by these populations. This conference invites scholars to critically examine how cultural memory interacts with the postsocialist mnemonic, epistemic, and real-life crises. We encourage contributions that explore the following questions/topics:
Memory and Crises
The intersection of memory and crises
The weaponization of the past
Memory and forced displacement
Memory of genocide
Erasure and destruction of cultural heritage
Diasporic memory practices
Archiving digital memories
Memory and Post-Socialism
Transnational memory in the post-socialist world
Post-socialist memory cultures in a global context
Regional memory regimes
Political dimensions of memory
Memory-building processes
The “difficult” memories
The role of media in shaping memory
The arts as a vehicle for memory work
New digital memorialization practices in the post-pandemic era
Memory and translation
Memory, Suspicion, Conspiracy, and Speculation
A special stream will focus on the research agenda of the co-organizing research project “Conspiratorial Memory.” This stream will explore the ways in which conspiracy theories intersect with collective memory, shaping and reshaping the interpretation of past, present, and future alike. Grounded in the idea that conspiracy theories and related forms of suspicion and speculation are deeply embedded within the dynamics of cultural memory, this stream will examine how conspiratorial narratives contest and tap into existing memory frameworks, reinterpreting and often distorting past events to fit specific political and ideological purposes.
Memory in a “post-truth society”
The role of conspiracy thinking in shaping public perceptions of past conflicts and current crises
Conspiracy theories as alternative memory narratives
Political weaponization of conspiratorial takes on history
Emotional and affective dimensions of conspiracy-driven memory
Cross-cultural perspectives on conspiratorial memory
Role of digital communication, and social media platforms specifically, in the proliferation of conspiracy-driven memory
The significance of the arts and popular culture in fostering alternative, conspiracy-based memory narratives
Formats
This is an in-person conference.
Paper proposals should include abstracts (no longer than 250 words) and information about the presenter(s) (affiliation and short biography).
Panel and roundtable proposals should include an abstract (no longer than 250 words) and a complete list of max 4 participants, as well as their affiliations, short biographies, and the titles of their papers.
Special events, including book presentations, art performances, etc.
