Event
From Revolution to Catastrophe: In the Trap of Empire
3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Wolf Humanities Center presents their Dr. S.T. Lee Distinguished Lecture Series in the Humanities featuring Keti Chukhrov, philosopher, art theorist, and poet, in conversation with Kevin M.F. Platt, Professor of Russian and East European Studies.
At the start of the twentieth century, socialist revolution in the name of universal emancipation led to totalitarianism. More recently, an era of democratic transition has ended with dictatorship and neo-imperial war. Russia’s war in Ukraine has made it evident that what seemed to be a singular epochal event—the complete demise of the Soviet Union in 1991—was in fact a process that continues to unfold in the present day as catastrophe. The longevity of post-soviet Russian imperialism derives from its intertwining of colonial aspirations with the vestiges of state socialism and anti-capitalist rhetoric. In this lecture, Keti Chukhrov will examine the pathologies of post-Soviet subjectivity and will pose the question: can cultural universalism make it possible to resist and undermine empire in the twenty-first century? Following the lecture, Professor Kevin M. F. Platt will join Chukhrov for discussion.
This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Russian and East European Studies.
The Dr. S.T. Lee Distinguished Lecture Series in the Humanities brings to the Wolf Humanities Center scholars and artists whose work has advanced our understanding of issues central to the humanities. The series is named for Seng Tee Lee, a business executive and noted philanthropist. Dr. Lee was director of the Lee Group of Companies in Singapore and of the Lee Foundation.