Dear Colleagues and Friends,

we cordially invite you to the opening lecture of the StředověC JinaX series this semester. Traditionally, the semester will be opened by Prof. Ivan Foletti.

The art of the South Caucasus - especially of present-day Armenia and Georgia - is a hidden gem in art-historical research. The general public’s interest in this region is rather limited, focusing only on its natural beauty and associated tourism, or on the consumer perception of Tbilisi as a capital of seemingly exotic alcohol parties. This outlook is not a coincidence but was shaped by years of rivalry between Russia and Great Britain over Central Asia during the so-called “Great Game.” The imperialism of the Soviet Union and, to some extent, of Putin’s Russia, also had an impact later. The Western sense of superiority rooted in the long tradition of orientalism additionally plays a part.

The aim of this lecture is to reflect on this current view of the Caucasus and, above all, to uncover the developments that have led to its formation. At least in the pre-modern period, the issue was the complete cultural hegemony of Eurasia.

We will meet on Thursday 26 September at 7 pm in the Hans Belting Library in the Faculty of Arts building in Veveří. The lecture will again be streamed online on our YouTube channel (here).

The lecture is part of Kontexty humanity project of energeia o.p.s.

We look forward to seeing you there!