Aizada Arystanbek. Implications of the Western Left’s Disengagement with russian Imperialism

Lecture "Do They See Us?Implications of the Western Left’s Disengagement with russian Imperialism" by Aizada Arystanbek

Lecture is a part of a public program for the Өмә exhibition (2023, Berlin, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien)
Co-organised by nGbK and Feminist Translocalities
Curated by FATA Collective

The blanket identity of the Soviet Union and its claim to communist future in opposition to Western capitalism have been a subject of fascination and engagement for Western leftists. The escalation of russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has created a chasm in Western leftist discourses on russia's imperial past and present. While weaponization of non-Slavic subjects by the kremlin have facilitated discussions of russian colonial and racialized oppression of different communities, the extent to which these discussions have challenged Western leftists’ understanding of russian imperialism remains ambiguous.

The lecture will discuss the Western leftist media's engagement with russian imperialism and critically assess the extent of visibility and solidarity that has been offered to racialized communities living through russian imperialism by the leftist movements in the Global North. The aim of the lecture is to highlight the need for fostering transnational solidarity with decolonial movements against russian imperialism and the urgency to disrupt its myopic narratives in the Western media.

Aizada Arystanbek, a socially engaged researcher from Kazakhstan. Her interests lie at the intersection of gender, culture, coloniality, and nationalisms.