Post-Soviet Space and Slavic Cultures Unit

The post-Soviet area and the Slavic world are places of multiple identity and geopolitical issues. The members of SEPSOMS analyse the evolution and upheavals from the primary perspective of translation studies, sociolinguistics, philology and interculturality. Amongst others, special attention is given to the relationship between the minority and majority languages and their socio-political manifestations; Russian as a foreign language, as a language of emigration and as an instrument of soft power; interlinguistic and intercultural transfer, particularly the translation of literary works, as a link in the East-West dialogue; interpretation in a migration context; the constitutive force of discourse and propaganda; the processes of identity construction, as well as history and literature as keys to understanding these worlds and their relations. Ultimately, the objective is to contribute to a deeper and broader understanding of the forces behind current issues in the area being studied and in the East-West dialogue.

The research and outreach activities of SEPSOMS serve to train future translators, interpreters, intercultural communication specialists and socio-political analysts whose interests lie in the post-Soviet area and the Slavic world.