Guitar poet Bulat Okudzhava, admired across generations for his powerful and memorable lyrics, would have turned 100 in May 2024. His poetry and musical style diverged from the mainstream Soviet culture while deeply resonating with many of those who lived under socialism. His bard songs continue to inspire contemporary musicians from Regina Spektor to Psoy Korolenko.

To commemorate Okudzhava’s legacy and think more broadly about the role of art in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, we encourage young scholars to participate in an in-person conference at Macalester College (Saint Paul, MN) on Saturday, April 27, 2024. 

The conference will include panel discussions and a concert that will bring together local artists, musicians, and poets who will share their work with conference participants and the public. 

We invite proposals for papers/projects from any discipline that consider the complex connections between the state and various art forms (performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, film, and other forms of creative expression) in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. 

Conference topics may explore (but are not limited to):

• Art against the state (disillusionment, criticism, resistance, anti-state art projects, etc.);

• Art and state support (state-sponsored artists and art projects, state-funded education of artists, public art campaigns);

• The state against art (censorship, incarceration, purges);

• Art across state borders (interstate artistic projects);

• Art and the state in times of war;

• Art and empire;

• Art in totalitarian and democratic states.

In addition to traditional papers, we invite participants to submit digital projects, musical pieces, visual artwork, and literary creations. Each panelist will present a 10-minute overview of their project at the conference. Limited travel grants are available to help defray travel expenses for accepted participants located outside the Twin Cities.

Please submit your proposal (250 words or less) by March 1, 2024, to Masha Fedorova (mfedorov@macalester.edu). 

Contact Julia Chadaga (chadaga@macalester.edu) if you have any questions.