The First Republics (1918-1920/21) in the South Caucasus

The Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office - South Caucasus region, together with Ilia State University and the Soviet Past Research Laboratory (SOVLAB), organizes the South Caucasus Regional Conference on Memory Politics to address the foundations and legacy of the first independent republics in the South Caucasus (SC). While it is true that these republics were short-lived in terms of longevity due to the invasion of the Red Army, new interpretations of their legacy were fundamental for the post-Soviet nation and state-building processes. Recently, there has been a certain revival and acknowledgment of the importance of the period of 1918-20 / 21 among scholars and academics, however, it is crucial that different actors such as academics, public intellectuals, politicians, journalists, and policy makers continue to systematically analyze and discuss this important period of history. Thus, together with our speakers, we will try to unpack on the one hand, the geopolitical reality and internal developments that led to the declaration of the independence of the first republics. On the other hand, we will focus on the political models and reforms undertaken in different spheres by the political and intellectual elites. The key question for the conference is how much we can learn from the experience of the first republics in terms of today's state-building. we will focus on the political models and reforms undertaken in different spheres by the political and intellectual elites. The key question for the conference is how much we can learn from the experience of the first republics in terms of today's state-building. we will focus on the political models and reforms undertaken in different spheres by the political and intellectual elites. The key question for the conference is how much we can learn from the experience of the first republics in terms of today's state-building. 

By bringing together academics, researchers and students from different disciplines, such as history, political science, and anthropology, the Heinrich Boell Foundation, together with its partners, supports research and discussion on the important topics of memory politics and contributes to the process of democratic development in the South Caucasus region. 

Click the link to read the Agenda of the Memory Conference  in English , in Armenian, in Azerbaijani , in Russian .

To attend the conference, please register here