Breaking the Empire’s Grip – Decolonisation in Belarus, Georgia & Ukraine
Date & Venue: 22 October 2025, 19:00, Litteraturhuset (Kverneland)
Moderator
Oleksandra Hrybenko – PhD Candidate, Institute for Journalism and Media Studies, OsloMet
Participants
- Marina Hobbel – Writer, translator and member of the Association of Belarusians in Norway "Razam". She will speak on the Belarusian community’s work to preserve cultural identity in the diaspora and to promote an independent national narrative.
- Bernhard L. Mohr – Acquiring Editor of Translated Fiction at Cappelen Damm. He will share insight into how Eastern European literature is translated and brought to international audiences, and the challenges of representing post-colonial contexts.
- Kateryna Romaniv – Violinist, creator and performer based in Oslo. She will show how music from Ukraine embodies historical memory and contemporary resilience.
- Maka Dolidze – Editor of Filmmagasinet. She will discuss the role of cinema and film criticism in amplifying Georgian and other post-Soviet stories as decolonial narratives.
- Ieva Gudaitytė – PhD Candidate at the University of Oslo. She will provide academic perspectives on cultural identity, history and the broader processes of decolonisation in the region.
About the event
This diverse panel will explore how music, literature, film and scholarship are redefining national identities in Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine, and how they contribute to breaking free from the lingering influence of empire. The conversation will go beyond politics and social change, highlighting rich traditions of music and literature that have shaped national consciousness. Through historical insights, artistic examples and academic reflection, the event will demonstrate how cultural expression supports both political and social liberation in Eastern Europe.
