Truth about the Past for the Sake of the Present and Future is an event dedicated to the problem of historical truth. Should we speak out and tell the truth about the worst of Russian history or is it better to forget? And if it is better to tell the truth, then how are we to take on the difficult truth vis-à-vis, for instance, the Soviet repression? How are we to make peace between the victims and the executioners, and how can we avoid making recourse to retribution?
Questions for Discussion:
- Is it possible, in our modern Russian society, to speak the truth about the past without causing divisions between people living today?
- Can speaking the truth about the past serve as a way to find agreement and build peace within society? How should dialogue be organized in a way which will help us avoid conflict?
Discussion participants intend to look at the tragic events of the 20th century as a general catastrophe for us all, without making ideological evaluations. We look back in order to provide a common and personal basis for repentance, as well as to call for the accurate representation of our Soviet past at places of remembrance and museum exhibitions.
Historians, theologians, and social activists will take part in the discussion.