Medievalism has been a common and hardly innocent practice in Eastern European political discourses ever since the dissolution of the USSR in the 1990s. To use but one example, both Russia and Ukraine have laid claims on such prominent historical figures as Prince Vladimir / Volodymyr the Great, Princess Olga, Boris and Gleb/Hlib, as well as on such semi-legendary characters as Ilya of Murom. The recent military conflict has led to a renewal of interest in the history of medieval Rus’ and to the rewriting and falsification of this history, particularly in the public sphere, education and political discourse. This multidisciplinary volume draws together contributions from scholars from different countries and different disciplinary backgrounds, who analyze a variety of media and sources in which medievalisms can be manifested. The authors examine the uses of medievalising statues, fiction, cartoons, tourism and popular history in Ukrainian and Russian political discourses. The aim of this volume is to take a balanced and wide-ranging approach to medievalism as a political weapon and a cultural mainstay and to facilitate a fruitful and respectful dialogue among scholars coming from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds with an interest in Slavic studies, medievalism, the use of history in public discourse and the history of ex-Soviet and post-communist countries.

ANASTASIJA ROPA holds a doctoral degree from Bangor University (North Wales) and is currently a senior researcher at the Latvian Academy of Sport Education. Her most recent research explores medieval equestrianism in English and French literary sources.

Table des matières :

Introduction. Whose Medieval Past? – Anastasija Ropa, Edgar Rops

Prince Vladimir and Ilya of Murom: Whose Heroes? – Edgar Rops, Anastasija Ropa

Leo Mol and St. Volodymyr: Chiselling the Myth of Rus’-Ukraine for the Diaspora and the Western World – Anastasija Ropa

History Serves the Motherland: Alexander Nevsky in Russian Political and Militarist Discourse (2018-2023) – Olga Kalashnikova

“Peresvet’s Victory” in Mariupol: Notes on a Medieval Battle Narrative and its Contemporary Applications – Kati Parppei

Global Medievalism in Contemporary Vyborg – Aleksandr Rusanov, Alexandra Kolesnik

Conclusion: The Seductive Middle Ages – Anastasija Ropa

Notes on Contributors

Informations pratiques :

Medievalism in Russian and Ukrainian Political Discourses, éd. Anastasija Ropa, Budapest, trivent, 2025 ; 1 vol., 210 p. ISBN : 978-615-6696-46-5. Prix : € 42,00.

Source : Trivent