The rise of the autobiographical genre within the socialist movement dates back to the late nineteenth century. However, following the Soviet revolution, this trend took a more institutionalized form, with autobiographical practices becoming widespread within the socialist state. It became mandatory for members of the party and individuals in key societal, governmental roles to document their personal narratives. The influence of the Comintern facilitated the global dissemination of autobiographical practices. These were extended even to the Italian communists who spent time in Moscow in the 1930s, and to the whole party after 1945. The Gramsci Emilia-Romagna Foundation housed a substantial collection of autobiographical documents from communist leaders and activists spanning the years 1945 to 1956.
But the autobiographical practices of communist militants went far beyond those institutionally required and were produced out of the will and desire to give narrative form to their own political experiences. It is therefore necessary to place communist autobiographical practices in a broader framework, considering both historiographical perspectives and the sources employed. By placing communist autobiographical practices within a broader cultural history of the genre, the workshop aims to underscore the intricate interplay of influences shaping these narratives. The workshop will delve into case studies and methodological reflections, drawing insights from Eastern Europe and the Global South, where communist militancy intersected with anti-colonial and anti-racist movements.
Giovedì 18 aprile 2024
Aula Celio, Via Zamboni 38 (quinto piano) - Università di Bologna
Autobiographical practices in 20th century global communism
• h. 10:00 - 12:30
Paolo Capuzzo | Presidente Fondazione Gramsci Emilia-Romagna, Università di Bologna
Introduction
Vitalij Fastovskij | Universität Münster
Roots of the Bolshevik Self: Practices of Subjectivation in the Late Tsarist Empire
Yuri Zaretsky | HSE University, Russia
Autobiographical Narratives by Soviet People
Wiktor Marzec | University of Warsaw
Socialists in a Socialist Movement and in a Socialist State. Time Layers in Socialists Autobiographies
• h. 14:00 - 16:30
Arlena Buelli | Università di Bologna
‘Black (Wo)Men in Red Russia’: Narratives of Radicalization by African American Communists, 1930s-70s
Chiara Bonfiglioli | Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia
Pioneers of women’s economic development: the biographical narratives of Devaki Jain and Vina Mazumdar
José Neves | NOVA University of Lisbon
The self-invention of the militant: anticolonialism and antifascism in Africa and Portugal
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12 сен 2024
