Dr. Lidia Lesnykh
What does the theme “Conflict & Cooperation” mean to you?
I will reply to this question as if I were suddenly stopped in a crowded street by a person with a camera and a microphone. Why this set-up? Because this situation can somehow become “conflictual” if you are on your way to an appointment or just have no interest in interacting. But what if you decided to “cooperate” by agreeing to reply, and your mind dove into reflection for the whole day, opening a different perspective on an issue you had been trying to resolve for a while? So, I would first say that "Conflict & Cooperation" are only seemingly dichotomic phenomena, which coexist as parts of a cycle that has accompanied humanity ever since. Talking about today, especially in the current geopolitical context, it is essential not to fall into the trap of conflictual rhetoric, but to build individual and collective awareness of how and where to build new bridges. From my personal experience, first as a foreign student and now a young researcher, the “conflicts” can pop up anytime, in the form of visa and bureaucratic formalities, bad timing or simply disagreement, and that’s when we should keep the doors and mind open. Conflict is a basis for exploring new possibilities and overcoming borders to seek more sustainable relations, and that’s what I try to demonstrate in my work and life in general.
How does this theme play a role in your work?
Since my first research projects, dating back around ten years, I have always worked on cooperation in historical periods dominated by geopolitical tensions. It started with hearing from my grandparents that “tourism did not exist in the Soviet Union” and ended with a scholarship to continue my studies in Paris to prove the contrary. I have always been fascinated by the rich past of French-Russian cultural relations and wanted to be a drop in the ocean of this long-lasting tradition. This has been crucial in choosing my following research topics and questions, which focus more broadly on transnational cultural cooperation during the 20th century. At the same time, crossing written archival materials and oral history to identify points of tension and ways to resolve conflicts between individuals, organisations, and states is one of the most intriguing parts of our work.
What project(s) will you be working on during your fellowship at the Forum Basiliense?
My project “Borders Crossed: Connecting a Divided Europe through Youth Travel in 1920-1960s” aims to approach youth mobility as a key element of cross-border cooperation and post-war peacebuilding initiatives, which contributed to promoting youth agency, leadership and mobility on a broad European scale from the post-WWI period to the 1960s. It analyses the diversity of actors and practices involved in the conception, organisation, and reception of international youth travel on transnational, national and local scales in the context of the massification of tourism and democratisation of leisure. The research queries the presumed dichotomy between conflict and cooperation through the example of youth and student mobility, based on the idea of “transnationality of youth”, while also acknowledging national and regional patterns. The 20th-century global dynamics of conflict, cooperation, and competition between authoritarian states and democracies, victorious and defeated states, East and West, were reflected in the activities of international institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and on the micro level, which represent a particular interest. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance understanding of contemporary dynamics by emphasising the importance of cross-border cultural cooperation in addressing ongoing geopolitical crises.