Call for Papers for the International Conference
Communism for Young People. Passing on the Recent Past in Central and Eastern Europe
Scientific Committee: Dr. Habilit. Mioara Anton („N. Iorga” Institute of History), Dr. Habilit. Virgiliu Bîrlădeanu (Moldova State University), Dr. Habilit. Oana-Ramona Ilovan (Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj), Dr. Lidia Pădureac („Alecu Russo” State University of Moldova), Dr. Habilit. Kristina Popova (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), Dr. Habilit. Elena Postică (National Museum of the History of Moldova), Dr. Habilit. Mihai-Stelian Rusu („Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu), Dr. Habilit. Izabela Skórzyńska (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań), Dr. Habilit. Cristian Vasile („N. Iorga” Institute of History).
Organizing Committee: Claudia-Florentina Dobre („N. Iorga” Institute of History), Ludmila Cojocari (National Museum of the History of Moldova), Manuela Marin („George Bariţiu” Institute of History, Romanian Academy), Corneliu Pintilescu („George Bariţiu” Institute of History, Romanian Academy), Andreea Paula Corca (Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu), Liudmila Chiciuc (State University „Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu” in Cahul), Olga Trandafilova (Museum of History of Avdarma).
More than 35 years after its fall, Communism remains a frame of reference for the memory cultures of countries in Central and Eastern Europe and still plays an important role in the political, social, and cultural life of those countries. Politics have tried to fashion these memory cultures through commemorative and compensatory laws, monuments, memorials, and museums, textbooks and school curricula. The European laws and politics and/or the pro-Russian discourse added a new dimension to the ways of remembering the Communist/Soviet past in these countries. The impact of these politics of memory, and alternative public discourse in creating and promoting various representations of Communist/Soviet past and how members of the Z generation received and incorporated them while building their own representations of the recent past are the main questions to which our conference aims at finding answers.
Our conference aims to discuss the following topics, but not only:
- Politics of Memory in Central and Eastern Europe
- Narratives and Public Representations about Communist/Soviet Past
- Educational Policies Regarding the Communist/Soviet Past
- Lieux de mémoire regarding the Communist/Soviet Regimes
- Generational Memory of Communism
- Young People's Perceptions about the Recent Past
- Nostalgia and Young People Values and Expectations
- Artistic Representations about the Communist/Soviet Past
- Consumerist Practices of Communist Goods
- Museumizing Communism in Central and Eastern Europe
The conference is to be organized by the „Nicolae Iorga” Institute of History in partnership with The National Museum of History of Moldova between May 28-29, 2026, in Bucharest, Romania, at the headquarters of „Nicolae Iorga” Institute (Address: 1, Aviatorilor).
We invite specialists and young researchers interested in the above topics to send us their proposals of no more than 300 words and a short bio by April 5, 2026 to the email address: commfy2027@gmail.com.
The selection of participants will be made by a selection committee composed of members of the scientific and organizing committee.
This project is supported by a grant of the Ministry of Education and Research, CCCDI-UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-PCB-RO-MD-2024-0039, within PNCDI IV