16.03.03)

Dear List,

As one of the speakers at the upcoming conference on 'Stalin's
Cultural Legacy' Bristol UK (15-16.03.03), I'd like to take the
opportunity to reply to Piotr Kopszak's recent message on the
inappropriateness of the title and approach taken by the conference.
I also see the phrase 'cultural legacy' as a neutral expression and
believe it was deliberately chosen to give conference participants a
free hand to broadly consider the effects of Stalinism on culture. In
my view the study of, for example, the artistic doctrine and practice
of socialist realism in painting and sculpture does not have to be
undertaken in the spirit of moral condemnation.

Most recent studies of Stalinist culture have eschewed the
denunciatory tone that was usual during the Cold War, opening up the
possibility of a more nuanced interpretation of communist strategies
to control culture during the Stalin era, as well as an appreciation
of the complexity of the artistic and popular response. There is no
reason why academic study of the diverse outcomes resulting from
Stalin's dramatic and far-reaching interventions in culture should
cause insult to the victims of the Stalinist terror when the
intention is to foster a better understanding of the history of the
period.

Sincerely,
Dr. Reuben Fowkes
--

see http://www.reubenfowkes.net/ for
the visual arts and cultural
history of eastern europe, socialist realism and contemporary central
european art

---------
From: "H-ArtHist (Iris Mahnke)" <mahnkenikocity.de>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 08:24:37 +0100
Subject: RE CONF: Stalin's Cultural Legacy (Bristol UK, 15.-16.03.03)

From: kopszakmnw.art.pl (Piotr Kopszak)
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 11:26:55 +0100
Subject: Re: CONF: Stalin's Cultural Legacy (Bristol UK, 15.-16.03.03)

Dear list,

Prompted by the message announcing "Stalin's Cultural Legacy"
conference, which is going to take place in Bristol UK (15.-16.03.03)
I would like to draw your attention to inappropriateness of such
conjunction. "Cultural legacy" is a neutral term with positive
overtones and using this term to describe the outcome of Stalin's
activities in the sphere of culture without any qualification is
insulting to the memory of his victims and eventually can help
eradicate this memory rather than keep it alive.

Yours faithfully

Piotr Kopszak

--
Piotr Kopszak, Ph.D.
Polish Art Gallery, National Museum in Warsaw
-----------------------------> http://kopszak.mnw.art.pl/