26 November 2010, University of Leeds

Moscow has always held a special significance in Russian consciousness, not only as a political, historical, and cultural centre, but also as a talisman of Russia’s messianic role in the global arena. Today, both despite and because of dramatically transformed circumstances, Moscow’s image continues to dominate the country’s identity. Indeed, under Putin/Medvedev as president and Luzhkov as mayor, Russia’s promoted self-image and Western portrayals of the city implicitly equate Moscow with Russia.

The purpose of the conference was to bring together leading academics in anthropology, art, film, history, literature, and sociology, as well as art and media curators, to examine the phenomenon of ‘Moscow as A Global City’—specifically, its role as manifested in high and popular culture across a variety of media, including architecture and the internet. Focusing on Moscow as a representation of Russia both within the post-communist space and in the West, the conference explored issues of city and nation branding, globalisation, mediation, and everyday practices.

The conference ended with a round table chaired by Prof. Helena Goscilo (Chair, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Ohio State University, and Visiting Leverhulme Professor, University of Leeds).