University of Toronto Conference on Caucasus April 4th

Caucasus: Past and Present

Hosted by University of Toronto Caucasus House

First ever Scholarly conference on caucasus region

Date: April 4th, 2009

Time: 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.

Hart House, University of Toronto: 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H3

Special Guest Lecture

Sarah E. Slye, MA, Russian and East European Studies. University of Arizona

Topic: Dreams of Caucasian Confederation: The Émigré Movement for a United Caucasus (1921-1964)

Dr. Ruslan Arsanukaev, PhD, Chechen State University

Topic: Ethnogenesis of Caucasus Nations

Fuad Akhundov, MA, Harvard University

Topic: Ethnocultural diversity of Baku at the turn of the 19-20-th centuries

The University of Toronto student or ganization Caucasus House will host the first scholarly conference on the Caucasus region in Toronto, Canada. The conference will focus on the culture, politics, history and multi-ethnic population of the Caucasus. The conference will bring together researchers in Caucasus studies for a discussion on current developments in the region. How are these dynamics to be understood and explained from political, anthropological, historical, linguistic and cultural perspectives? Don’t miss this unique opportunity.

New Documentary Film: Crying Sun, The Impact of War in Mountains of Chechnya

Caucasus House presents new documentary film on harsh life in mountainous parts of Chechnya which is devastated by the ongoing bombing, looting, persecution, kidnapping, torture and murder of civilians by the Russian authorities and their Chechen allies.

Russian Journalist Aleksey Venedikov on Russian-Georgian War

Russian journalist from Echo Moskwa Aleksey Venedikov's Video interview on Russian-Georgian War. Unfortunately the interview was conducted in Russian, however we will provide English translation soon.

Video Evidence of Intentional Destraction of Georgian Villages of Tamarasheni, Eredvi and Kurta in “South Ossetia”

Eredvi:



Tamarasheni and Kurta:

Clink here

Abkhazia: Frozen Conflict?

A Broken Bridge and Two Separate Banks

by Mirian Jugheli

All my short life, I remember conversations and discussions about the conflict in Abkhazia. I don’t remember the war, but I do remember the endless talk about its causes and consequences. I also remember the pain in the eyes of the thousands who had to leave their land. Some were happy just to have survived, but others left behind the remains of their beloved, never knowing if they would be able to go back and bury them.

My memory of the war goes back to my grandmother who lived in Gagra all her life. She loved playing the piano and singing a song in a Tango rhythm, (we called it her Gagra hymn) of "Oh, sea in Gagra, Oh, palms in Gagra, who sees this once will never forget.’’

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Special Report: Total destruction of Georgian villages in South Ossetia

Russian journalist Oleg Panfilov forwarded photo materials from the Georgian separatist enclave of South Ossetia, where dozens of Georgian villages were intentionally destroyed, looted and burned by the Ossetian militants and their Russian allies during the Russian-Georgian War in August of 2008. The above photograph depicts the village of Tamarasheni, which has been totaly destroyed and bouldozed by the Ossetians, determined to eradicate all Georgian enclaves within the separatist region. See more photographs of the devastated Georgian villages of Eredvi, Nuli, Psiri.

Questions for Akhmed Zakaev

Ask your questions to Akhmed Zakaev, the Chairman of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Cabinet of Ministers

Caucasus House will submit your questions during the interview with the Akhmed Zakaev. Please submit your questions in the comment section.

Nagorno Karabakh: Progress Towards Peace?

Following much speculation surrounding a long anticipated breakthrough in negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan to agree upon a peace agreement to end the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian President Serge Sargsyan convened a meeting with political forces behind closed doors to discuss recent developments. Despite demanding disclosure of the recent talks in Moscow as well as in Madrid last year, RFE/RL reports that representatives of most of the major parties making up the radical opposition led by former president Levon

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Sokolov is the New Sakharov

Professor is Fired for Writing about Saakashvili

by Olga Gorelik

Over the past month, the historian Boris Sokolov has lost his job not once but twice. First, he was suspended from his position as an op-ed columnist for the Gazeta newspaper. Then his resignation was demanded from his other employer, the Russian State Social University (”RSSU”). Both incidents were the result of a column Sokolov wrote for Gazeta in August entitled “Did Saakashvili Win or Lose?” in which he questioned the Kremlin’s version of the events in South Ossetia.

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The August War: From Political Confrontation to Military Escalation

By Bruno Coppieters

The August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia has altered our perception of European security. For the first time since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia used massive military force outside its borders. According to a broadly accepted interpretation of events, Russia wanted to influence discussions within the NATO alliance on a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Georgia and Ukraine. Russia’s “disproportional” response to Georgia’s use of force against South Ossetia demonstrated that the full integration of Tbilisi into the Atlantic alliance would carry a number of serious costs. Another reading of events, which focuses more on intra-state conflicts in Georgia and various parties’ use of confrontation policies, has received less attention.

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