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Work-in-Progress with Anastasiya Astapova

Anastasiya Astapova
October 30, 2013
4:00PM - 5:30PM
Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Room 120

Date Range
Add to Calendar 2013-10-30 16:00:00 2013-10-30 17:30:00 Work-in-Progress with Anastasiya Astapova Join us for an informal discussion with visiting scholar, Anastasiya Astapova (University of Tartu) as she discusses her current research.The Contested Biographies of Political Leaders: The Case of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.A recurrent and seemingly universal phenomenon of political leadership is the doubling of biographies. There is an official biography, both personal and professional, often presented through state-sponsored media. But alternative beliefs and narratives also circulate. A famous example is that of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who was rumored to have died in the middle of his presidency and been replaced by a look-alike for the TV cameras; the US has also seen extensive public argument over the birthplace of Barack Obama. Some biographies of contemporary leaders have counter-beliefs for almost every element in them, starting from the birth of the leader. Based on recent ethnographic fieldwork, this talk focuses on the official and vernacular biographies of the current president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. I ask how the biographies differ, how and by whom each version is constructed, and what consequences result. Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Room 120 Center for Folklore Studies cfs@osu.edu America/New_York public

Join us for an informal discussion with visiting scholar, Anastasiya Astapova (University of Tartu) as she discusses her current research.

The Contested Biographies of Political Leaders: The Case of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.

A recurrent and seemingly universal phenomenon of political leadership is the doubling of biographies. There is an official biography, both personal and professional, often presented through state-sponsored media. But alternative beliefs and narratives also circulate. A famous example is that of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who was rumored to have died in the middle of his presidency and been replaced by a look-alike for the TV cameras; the US has also seen extensive public argument over the birthplace of Barack Obama. Some biographies of contemporary leaders have counter-beliefs for almost every element in them, starting from the birth of the leader. Based on recent ethnographic fieldwork, this talk focuses on the official and vernacular biographies of the current president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. I ask how the biographies differ, how and by whom each version is constructed, and what consequences result.