Columbia University in the City of New York

Harriman Institute Events

75th Anniversary

Latest Past Events

Artist Talk. Mikhail Magaril on “The Untold Stories of Russian History”

Harriman Institute Atrium 12th floor International Affairs Building, 420 W 118th St, New York

Join us for the closing reception for our exhibit The Untold Stories of Russian History, featuring a dialogue between the artist Mikhail Magaril and his friend Michael Weintraub, a connoisseur of rare books and works on paper. The event will also feature a display of Magaril's original artist's books, including Doctors' Plot, Lullaby, Alphabet and others.

Frustration and Challenges: Looking Back on Thirty Years of Democracy Promotion in the Region

Online

For most of the last three decades, the US has sought to promote democracy in most of the countries that once constituted the Soviet Union. The results can charitably be described as mixed. This panel will bring together practitioners, scholars and other relevant actors to reflect on the impact of the democracy promotion project in the region. The discussion will explore the work of democracy promotion, what it got right, what it got wrong and what the future might hold.

The Untold Stories of Russian History

Harriman Institute Atrium 12th floor International Affairs Building, 420 W 118th St, New York

This exhibition consists of twenty-three original works by Mikhail Magaril, including painting, relief, sculpture, graphic works and collages that reflect the main theme of his work; namely, the traumatic experience of an atmosphere of fear in the Stalinist USSR as seen through the eyes of a child. For Magaril, the artistic process is a way to overcome fear and horror. The use of irony, laughter and mockery help to debunk the "greatness" and "holiness" of tyrants of the past and present.

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