Several years ago, the government of the small Balkan country, the Republic of Macedonia, embarked on a “beautification” of its capital, Skopje. For the most part, this project consisted of hastily erected monuments to various historical figures and new, quasi-classical facades applied over old buildings. In addition to its divisive nationalist agenda, this project was hugely expensive. Growing evidence suggests that this project was not just an attempt at social re-engineering of Macedonian identity, but also a lucrative money-laundering scheme devised to benefit leading government officials.

In 2016, these monuments and buildings came under attack as various groups of citizens rose together in street protests against the wide-spread perception of the government’s corruption and disregard for the rule of law. Using paint as their ammunition, protesters defaced these buildings and monuments in an expression of their revolt. The government and its supporters dismissed them as hooligans that should be prosecuted within the highly partisan judicial system. Those opposing the government policies saw them as art activists and heroes of a grass-roots movement, which has become known as the “Colorful Revolution.” This panel (Marina Antic, Justin Otten, and Aneta Georgievska-Shine) will explore the movement. The program is sponsored by IU’s Russian and East European Institute; School of Global and International Studies; and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures. The panel discussion will be free and open to the public.

Cost: Free

For more information contact:

Mathers Museum of World Cultures
(812) 855-6873
[email protected]