CRCEES Wednesday Seminar

Monday, October 7th  

4pm-6pm, Room 118, Hetherington bld., Bute Gardens

 

Title: Authenticity, Interpretation and Ideology: The Case of Gulag Tourism in Kazakhstan

Speakers: Dr Guillaume Tiberghien, Lecturer in Tourism, University of Glasgow & Professor John. J Lennon Dean, Glasgow School for Business and Society, Glasgow Caledonian University

 

Along with Russia and the Baltic States, Kazakhstan holds some of the most important Soviet penal institutions known as Gulags and recently has developed prison museums on several of its former Gulag sites. Using a qualitative case study research approach, the study explores how post-Soviet prison heritage in Kazakhstan is commodified and managed by stakeholders involved in the development of Gulag tourism. These stakeholders include: museum curators and guides, policy makers, tourism operators, local NGOs and experts in post-Soviet prison heritage. The main focus of this exploration is the issue of authenticity, interpretation and ideology in Kazakhstani Gulag tourism practices; in particular the role of historical narrative, visual imagery, and photography in respect of these Gulag museums as both heritage tourism and education sites. The research seeks to advance understandings of the roles authenticity and ideology play in the management of Gulag tourism and its impact for Kazakhstani tourism development.

 


First published: 1 October 2019