Art and Literature of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union

August 21–29, 2023, Washington DC

The Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union of the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) are pleased to invite applications for a research workshop entitled, “Art and Literature of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union.” The workshop is scheduled for August 21-29, 2023 at the USHMM in Washington DC. This is the fifth research workshop co-organized by Yad Vashem and USHMM with a focus on the former Soviet Union.

Despite Soviet attempts to downplay the Holocaust in officially approved narratives, literary and artistic works emerged during and after World War II which revealed the suffering endured by Jewish victims at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. Newspaper articles, plays, musical works, memoirs, poems, films, and fictional accounts all focused on various aspects of the Holocaust as it occurred in the Soviet Union. These framed the experiences of Soviet Jews, especially as there was no official recognition of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union.

The goal of this workshop is to discuss and develop research that emphasizes works of art and literature about the Holocaust in the Soviet Union. Applications will be considered for any proposals touching upon any aspect of art and literature within the categories described above.

Participants will be expected to submit a paper (no more than 15 pages) a month prior to the beginning of the workshop for circulation among all participants. Daily sessions will include 30-minute presentations followed by a discussion (up to 30 min), as well as an opportunity for participants to do research at the USHHM’s library and archives. The workshop will take place at the Museum’s downtown campus and the David and Fela Shapell Family Collections, Conservation, and Research Center in Bowie, Maryland.

Applications will be accepted from scholars at all levels of their careers, from Ph.D. candidates to senior faculty. Strong preference will be given to junior scholars from the level of Ph.D. candidate through lecturer/assistant professor. Applications are welcome from scholars affiliated with universities, research institutions, or memorial sites and in any relevant academic discipline, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, film studies, history, Jewish studies, law, literature, material culture, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology, and other fields.

This workshop will be co-led by Professor Anna Shternshis of the University of Toronto and Professor Gennady Estraikh of New York University.

All application materials must be received by April 21, 2023. Incomplete applications will not be considered after this date. Late applications will not be accepted. The selected participants will be notified by May 21, 2023. 

The deadline to submit an application has passed.

The workshop organizers are Dr. Arkadi Zeltser, Director of the Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union at Yad Vashem (arkadi.zeltser@yadvashem.org.il) and Dr. Daniel Newman, Program Manager in the Division of International Academic Programs, USHMM (danewman@ushmm.org).

The organizers will cover the cost of economy class flights to and from the workshop and lodging for the workshop’s duration. Participants must obtain their own health insurance.

The workshop will be conducted in English.

This program is made possible by a generous support of Michael and Laura Mirilashvili, the Jewish Euro-Asian Congress to Yad Vashem’s Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union of the International Institute for Holocaust Research and is supported by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.