Justice & Minorities
Justice & Minorities
Podcast Description
The JUSTIMINO podcast explores the history of minorities in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and neighbouring regions. For the JUSTIMINO team, these minorities are not passive historical objects, they are important agents determined to shape their own destinies, even under highly authoritarian rule. In many cases, they used legal strategies to do so, invoking 'justice' and 'legality' to fight for their rights. Delving into intriguing and untold stories and interviewing a wide range of scholars and activists, the hosts of this podcast not only show the cultural diversity of Eurasia, but also highlight the courage and resilience of its countless 'minorities' throughout modern history.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the historical experiences and struggles of minorities within the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, with episodes like 'Blutanklage im Kaukasus' examining legal cases around minority rights and cultural narratives. Other episodes delve into themes of justice, colonialism, and the unique identities of ethnic groups, such as the Khevsurs of Georgia, exploring their portrayal in history and their implications on broader societal contexts.
The JUSTIMINO podcast explores the history of minorities in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and neighbouring regions. For the JUSTIMINO team, these minorities are not passive historical objects, they are important agents determined to shape their own destinies, even under highly authoritarian rule. In many cases, they used legal strategies to do so, invoking ‘justice’ and ‘legality’ to fight for their rights. Delving into intriguing and untold stories and interviewing a wide range of scholars and activists, the hosts of this podcast not only show the cultural diversity of Eurasia, but also highlight the courage and resilience of its countless ‘minorities’ throughout modern history.
This episode is about language in the South Caucasus, and the development of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian during the Soviet period in particular. Ketevan Sartania, Gevorg Avetikyan and Mirkamran Huseynli discuss changing Soviet policies as much as local reactions and initiatives from the 1920s to the 1970s. They also engage with national minorities and their languages beyond the three ‘titular’ nationalities of this region. How did minority languages fare in the different Soviet republics? What was the role of Russian? Lastly, this episode moves into more recent history and the three speakers share their experience of growing up in the post-Soviet Caucasus. Is there a new lingua franca emerging?
Recordings used in this episode:
Ioseb Grishashvili reading his poem “გამოთხოვება ძველ თბილისთან, ანუ დუდუკის საარი ქარს აღარ მოაქვს” (1961).
Avetik Isahakyan reading his poem “Հայրենիքիս” (1956).
Səməd Vurğun reading his poem “Nizami” (1947).
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