The international conference “Never Aging” was held on 10 and 11 October 2018 at the Maribor International Research Centre for WWII. It was held in organisation with the Russian embassy and the Russian Historical Society, along with the Jewish Community of Slovenian, which has played an important role in helping consolidate the tasks of international communities in their ideas on how to support historical events and the historical truths, results, and lessons of WWII, including Russia’s decision to contribute to conquering Nazism.
The international conference “Never Aging” was the first major event held at the International Research Centre to attract participants from more than 10 countries.
The extraordinary expertise of the presiding board of the Russian Historical Society at the event and their keen interest in the topics of discussion was shown clearly the presence of K.I. Mogilevski, executive director of the “History of the Homeland” fund and presiding member the Russian Historical Society, J.A. Petrov, director of the Russian History Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and A.V. Yurasov, deputy director of the Russian Archives, who took in speeches from 27 established and budding researchers from 9 countries across Europe (Austria, Great Britain, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, France, and Croatia). The public responded enthusiastically to the speeches, as well as to the presentation of K.I. Mogilevski’s book “Sobibor. A Chronicle of Education in a Death Camp” and the feature-length movie “Sobibor”, played on the eve of the conference at one of the most prestigious cinemas in the capital Ljubljana.
Plenary session of the international conference (from left to right): G.A. Shepelev (far left), professor at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Paris), A.V. Yurasov, deputy director of the Russian Archives (at the table), Doku Zavgayev, Russian ambassador to Slovenia, Z. Luketič, deputy mayor of Maribor.
In the commemorative hall. Attendees at the “Never Aging” conference take in the museum exhibits at the International Research Centre.
K.I. Mogilevski, executive director of the “History of the Homeland” fund and member of the board of the Russian Historical Society, presented his latest book, published in Moscow in 2018, “Sobibor. A Chronicle of Education in a Death Camp”.
A.V. Yurasov, deputy director of the Russian State Archives, presented his compendium “Munchen–1938. Descent into the Abyss of WWII.”
Speeches from A.V. Krilov and M.A. Saprikin, of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, also roused great interest, as they outlined the effects of the holocaust from the perspective of the Middle East.
The concluded collaboration memorandum between the Russian Historical Society and the International Research Centre sets a great foundation for future multilateral undertakings, especially including the Society’s participation at conferences launched at the embassy’s initiative in February 2019.
J.A. Petrov, director of the Russian History Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, presiding member of the Russian Historical Society (right), and J. Ujčič, director of the International Research Centre, signed a memorandum on future collaboration between the Russian Historical Society and the International Research Centre.
G.A. Shepelev, professor at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Paris).
Boris Hajdinjak, director of the Sinagoga Maribor Jewish cultural centre.
Several exhibits were on display at the International Research Centre that focused on Nazi crimes against humanity. These exhibits were put together by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, along with others from Slovenia and France.
(from left to right): V.G. Kulikov, secretary at the Russian embassy to Slovakia, K.I. Mogilevski, executive director of the “History of the Homeland” fund and presiding member of the Russian Historical Society, and E. Piličeva-Čorko, president of the Croatian coordination council of Russian immigrants.
(from left to right) J.A. Meteljev, director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Ljubljana, Dragan Živadinov, renowned Slovenian film director, G.A. Shepelev, professor at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Paris).
The conference’s already captivating programme was capped off with a screening of the Russian art film “Sobibor”, subtitled in Slovenian.
Sobibor centres on events from the years during WWII at the Sobibor concentration camp in Poland. The movie’s debut in Slovenia was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the revolt at the Sobibor camp. With actor Konstantin Khabensky in the central role, the movie portrays true events and discusses the uprising at Sobibor in 1943, which was unique for the period of WWII. Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky led the revolt, and was one of the few who managed to remain alive upon fleeing the camp. In October 1943, Soviet lieutenant Alexander Pechersky, who was trapped and confined at a concentration camp, managed to stage an international uprising of prisoners from Western Europe and Poland in three weeks – a uniquely successful revolt at a Nazi concentration camp.
Several Slovenian students, veterans, journalists, and members of the general public responded to the embassy’s invitation.
(from left to right) A.V. Yurasov, deputy director of the Russian State Archives, Doku Zavgayev, Russian ambassador to Slovenia, K.I. Mogilevski, executive director of the “History of the Homeland” fund and member of the board of the Russian Historical Society, and J.A. Petrov, director of the Russian History Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, at the Slovenian premier of the Russian art film “Sobibor”.
The “Sobibor” photography collection was also on display at the conference, an exhibit dedicated to the unique Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky and his successful revolt at the concentration camp and efforts at organised resistance during the war. The photographs include a portrait of Pechersky (1909–1990), his family, war comrades, and preparations for and the actual occasion of the revolt.
Many expressed enthusiasm at the conference, which provided such great amounts of information, as discussed in an interview by D.G. Zavgayev, Russian ambassador to Slovenia.
J.A. Petrov, director of the Russian History Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and presiding member of the Russian Historical Society, answers questions posed by Russian and Slovenian journalists.
Russian conference attendees traditionally laid flowers at the Monument to the Sons of Russia and the Soviet Union who fell within Slovenian lands, which was unveiled by Russian president, V.V. Putin, of July 2016 in Ljubljana.
(from left to right) G.I. Zamyatina, consultant to the Russian embassy in Slovenia, S.E. Baratov, researcher at the Moscow Centre for International Cooperation, A.V. Yurasov, deputy director of the Russian State Archives, Russian ambassador to Slovenia, J.A. Petrov, director of the Russian History Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, K.I. Mogilevski, executive director of the “History of the Homeland” fund and member of the board of the Russian Historical Society, G.A. Yakovlev, head of the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of International Relations and World Economy, M.A. Sapronova, professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations MGIMO, of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, A.V. Krilov, lead researcher at the Centre of Middle Eastern Studies, and professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.