Poland and Russia can't stop fighting over history. What next for the Soviet monuments?
In a conversation with The Moscow Times, I comment on the dispute over Soviet monuments in Poland from a security perspective rather than a purely historical one.
I explain why history in the public sphere, rather than as an academic discipline, is a powerful tool of influence: it tells people who they are and how they should behave in particular circumstances. I read Russian actions around memory, such as the "10 Centuries of Polish Russophobia" exhibition organized in Katyn, as psychological preparation of Russian society for a possible war with Poland. This perspective fits the growing Polish fears of a Russian attack, fuelled by the war in Ukraine, a wave of acts of sabotage, and the incident with drones over Polish airspace. I also share my view on the Soviet monuments themselves: although most Poles support their demolition, I lean closer to the Lithuanian sculpture-garden model. I would remove them from public space but not destroy them, because they remain part of history. The full article is available on The Moscow Times website.