The Road to Victory: 1941-1945. New Directions and Sources in Great Patriotic War Studies

The event aims to bring together researchers to foster holistic study of the war history, addressing its significance as a global turning point in 20th-century history and an important element of collective memory in the modern era. 

Drawing on newly declassified documents, the Great Patriotic War and WWII will be examined as a cohesive whole. This approach enables discussion of matters relating not only to frontline combat operations, but also rear areas and occupied territories, Soviet wartime economy, political and sociocultural aspects of daily life during wars, and the Siege of Leningrad. 

Special focus will be given to examining the international anti-fascist movement’s history and crucial challenges in preserving and enhancing collective memory of the war, as well as military heroism and the unprecedented labour mobilisation of the Soviet people. A thorough investigation of the war’s outcomes and enduring lessons will provide critical insights into how these 80-year-old events shaped the post-war world order. 

The conference places special emphasis on its educational mission. Early career researchers, students at various academic levels, and participants with general interest in the subject matter will have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the 1941-1945 events and familiarise themselves with research directions in this field studied abroad. 

The conference will take place in a hybrid format. The working languages are Russian and Chinese. 

Co-hosted by: the St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Research Society for Anti-Japanese War and World Anti-Fascist War.