Russian-East European Relations: From Tsarism to Gazprom

Venue: Cork (Ireland)
Period: May 4-5, 2012

The Irish Association for Russian, Central and East European Studies (IARCEES) hosts its annual conference in Cork on May 4-5, 2012. The conference will deal with the main topic “Russian-East European Relations: From Tsarism to Gazprom”, and its rich program includes a guest lecture by Dr. Peter Duncan, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Russian Politics and Society at UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies.
The purpose of this conference is to explore the relations between Russia/Soviet Union and its neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe. We welcome papers on a broad range of topics. The 20th Century was a time of particularly turbulent relations between Russia and its Eastern European neighbours. Issues such as the 2007 relocation of the Bronze Soldier in Tallinn show that political and historical differences, such as over interpretation of the events of the Second World War, persist. Increasingly the issue of Russia's relations with her 'near abroad' has come under scrutiny as the Russian Government increasingly regulates its relations with the region through oil and gas contracts.

Taking place over two days, the conference is divided in four sessions:
1. Post 1918 geopolitics
2. Cultural & intellectual history
3. South-Eastern Europe
4. Eastern Europe since 1980

Two members of PECOB’s Energy Study Group, Paolo Sorbello and Ludovico Grandi, will present their paper “From Concentration to Competition: The Struggle for Power between the Kremlin and Gazprom through the Study of TNK-BP and South Stream”.

The conference registration fee is €30 or €15 for student/postgrads, while standalone IARCEES membership €20 or €15 for students/postgrads.
Special offer: conference fee plus IARCEES membership: €40 or €25 for students/postgrads.
For further information, please contact the conference organizers at iarcees2012@gmail.com.

Irish Association for Russian, Central and East European Studies (IARCEES)
e-mail: iarcees2012@gmail.com