From Soviet Propaganda to Modern Russia: Ukrainians, Jews and the Language of Political Myths

A lecture by Moshe Shamah (English)

For years, Russia has framed their war of choice as the need to destroy the “Neo-Nazi” regime in Kyiv, using a baseless claim as a casus belli for destroying the sovereign state of Ukraine, but did you know that the roots of this claim come from a deep tradition of propaganda?
Long has Russian and Soviet propaganda tied the fate of the Ukrainian and Jewish/Israeli people, both in terms of accusations, as well as the “justified response” which inevitably follows. Posters of IDF soldiers and Ukrainians drunkenly plotting a Nazi coup, blood libels, and puppeteers calling back to the Elders of Zion.

Together, we’ll explore the parallels of propaganda from the Soviet Union to modern Russia, and how we, as citizens of the democratic world, can become more media literate and armed to identify such stigmas, stereotypes and conspiracy theories which may inject themselves into our news or visual feed.

The lecture will be held in English, with translation into Russian.

About the Lecturer
Moshe Shamah is a Jerusalem-based artist, researcher and Jewish educator. His work aims to capture the convergence of old and new, of antiquity and futurism, as it relates to Jewish tradition, peoplehood and history.
Bridging the gap between academia, mixed-media collage and calligraphy, Shamah aims to stimulate dialogue across the breadth of cultures and thought traditions – and play a small role in the emerging New Jewish Renaissance.
Shamah holds a degree in Jewish Studies and Art History from Rutgers University, which he earned while simultaneously sharing an art studio on campus. His solo exhibitions have been featured in Israel, Serbia and the United States, with upcoming exhibits planned in Warsaw, Kyiv, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.