CONFERENCE
Representatives for the seminar in Riga will arrive from the University of Helsinki, which is the leading partner of the project, Perm National Polytechnic University, University of Tartu, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main and Koç University in Istanbul. During the seminar days national working groups will present their research conceptions, partners will agree on the development of collective monographs and on project cooperation with the Riga Summer School, where short documentaries dedicated to memory issues will be produced this summer. Researchers group of the University of Latvia will invite their foreign guests for an excursion to the significant memorials for the social memory and identity of Latvia – Riga Brethren Military Cemetery, memorial for the victims of holocaust in Rumbula, Salaspils memorial, memorial to the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, monument dedicated to victims of the Soviet deportations in Torņkalns, historical KGB building called the ‘Corner house’, etc.
The task of the research group of University of Latvia will be to analyze society’s life after violent conflicts, the occupation, the Holocaust and repressions that led to the traumatic experience and the formation of new ways of living and practices of maintaining and reproducing memory. Project "LIVINGMEMORIES" in the University of Latvia is implemented by the Social Memory Research Centre – interdisciplinary research unit of the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Project manager is Professor, Dr. hist. Vita Zelče. Researchers involved in the working group are Dr. sc. comm. Laura Ardava, Dr. sc. comm. Didzis Bērziņš, Dr. soc. sc. Jurijs Ņikišins and Dr. art. Zane Radzobe, Mg. soc. sc. Sanita Burķīte and Mg. soc. sc. Aija Rozenšteine.
The main objectives of the project “LIVINGMEMORIES” are related to the exploration of the different national memory and identity narratives and their comparative analysis, as well as creations of interdisciplinary methodology for research of memory, conflicts and protest movement interaction. The project will last two years. Within the project researchers of partner universities will publish several collective monographs and scientific articles in the international and local journals and develop recommendations for the improvement of memory politics.
 partner workshop will take place in Riga, in the Advanced Social and Political Institute of University of Latvia. Project is implemented in the program ERA.NET RUS PLUS (EU-FP7). It is an interdisciplinary social science and humanities project, which focuses on problematic social memory, as well as on the imprints of conflicts and protest movements on memory and identity. It is European Union’s 7th Framework Program, which focuses on the promotion of European Union member state scientific cooperation with Russian scientists.
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