Authors

Renata Suchowiejko¹;  ¹ Jagiellonian University, Poland

Discussion

The past is omnipresent: it shapes our reality, influences social identification processes and organises cultural space. The past is a factor that influences our sense of community and individual identity in relation to other groups. In the creation of music and musical culture, the relationship with the past is of great importance. 

The war in Ukraine has altered the world’s perception, the academic landscape and our understanding of the past. A new musical land has emerged on the mental map of Europe: Ukraine. Western scholars have discovered that Ukraine has rich musical traditions, a distinct music history and a highly original artistic language. Will Ukraine become integrated into European musicological discourse and find its place in Western historiography? 

Can we establish a shared creative dialogue on the historiographic platform that transcends limitations imposed by national perspectives, aiming to enhance understanding of mutual relations, connections, and interactions, ultimately fostering a sense of common experience? 

This ideal seems unrealistic today, especially in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, the echoes of which are heard in musical life and academia.
This particular period of European history undoubtedly compels reflection and the search for new approaches in musicological studies. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not only disrupted institutional cooperation, restricted fieldwork opportunities and access to archives – it has also prompted us to raise certain methodological and epistemological questions: How can we critically assess the colonial legacies present in music historiography? How can we incorporate a wider range of voices, narratives and methodologies into our work? How can we safeguard academic freedom in this increasingly politicised environment? 

These constitute a few of the preliminary questions to be addressed in the presentation.