Gertjan Plets

Three-dimensional recording of archaeological remains in the Altai Mountains

In the course of their research campaign in Siberia, Ghent University archaeologists have developed a simple and cost effective method for the rapid 3D imaging of rock art, standing stelae and surface monuments. Their procedure will undoubtedly have a big role to play in archaeological research in advance of the oil pipeline expected soon.

A Line Through the Sacred Lands of the Altai Mountains: Perspectives on the Altai Pipeline Project

Abstract In 2006 preliminary plans were made public showing that Gazprom intended to construct a pipeline through the Altai republic (Russia, south-west Siberia). Unfortunately, there was almost no attention to integrating the conservation of cultural heritage (both archaeological and landscape) into the planning of the pipeline, though the Altai is well-known for its rich cultural heritage. Hitherto, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of the project, nor did Gazprom release detailed information about the exact course of the route. The present article aims to illustrate the potential impact of the pipeline based on a detailed study of a small segment of the route, using remote sensing images and data gathered during fieldwork. This assessment underlines the need for a well-thought-out strategy, which is required if sustainable integration of heritage conservation into the construction plan is to be realized. If such a balance is not found, thousands of archaeological monuments could disappear, which would result in a huge cultural and scientific loss. As a possible solution, an integrative strategy founded on a desk-based study of remote sensing images and a well-directed field survey is suggested.

Ethno-nationalism, asymmetric federalism and Soviet perceptions of the past: (World) heritage activism in the Russian Federation

Despite covering most of the Eurasian continent and recently reclaiming its position as a geopolitical heavyweight, the (world) heritage agenda of the Russian Federation remains relatively unexplored. In an effort to fill this gap, this paper seeks to uncover some of the main threads that define the politics of historical sites in Russia through contextualising Russia’s most recent addition to World Heritage Site: the archaeological site of Bolgar (Federal Republic of Tatarstan). Within this exercise, specific attention will be given to the ideological pathways, asymmetric power relations and shifting geopolitical alignments that define the sociocultural dimensions of the site. Popular heritage themes such as ethno-nationalism, post-colonialism, neo-liberalism, representational practices and branding will be scrutinised. Besides contributing to the globalisation project that is expediting the theoretical maturing of heritage studies, at the end of the paper some theoretical opportunities will briefly be explored. This paper concludes that heritage in Russia is far from neutral, and that international heritage organisations and researchers involved in Russia have more consideration for foster reflexivity about their actions and particular position in relation to governmental institutions. Cultural remains are important political commodities in Putin’s asymmetrical federation. Especially now that the sector has evolved into a multi-million business, the integrity of heritage practitioners is threatened.

Heritage statecraft: When archaeological heritage meets neoliberalism in Gazprom's resource colonies, Russia

A growing number of scholarly works in the field of archaeology and heritage studies have been investigating the role of culture in relationship management. By assessing the use of heritage and repatriation of archaeological finds by multinational Gazprom, a natural gas company, in the Russian Federation, this paper contributes to this heritage diplomacy research by critically repositioning some of its core paradigms and its predominant emphasis on interstate diplomatic processes. As explored in this paper, archaeology and heritage are cultural technologies that have to be framed in the broader statecraft policies of the nation state, and are enmeshed with different types of power and include a plethora of agents. By exploring a case study investigating the corporate security initiatives of a resource extraction and transport giant in Russia, this paper contributes to the extensive literature on neoliberalism, corporate social responsibility and federalism in newly developing economies.

Heritage bureaucracies and the modern nation state. Towards an ethnography of archaeological systems of government

Drawing on examples from the West (Flanders) and developing East (Siberia, Russia), this paper investigates the subtle and often overlooked entanglements between the nation state and archaeology. Drawing on careful ethnographic assessments mapping the impact of the state on archaeological practice in Russia and Flanders, this paper illustrates that we need to transcend our traditional focus on nationalism and also look at the impact of bureaucratic procedures and documents. These at first sight benign systems of government greatly enmesh archaeologists with the nation state and its myriad of agendas, ultimately impacting both heritage management and academic research.

Heritage Statecraft: Transcending Methodological Nationalism in the Russian Federation

The nation and theories of nationalism still largely dominate the methodological toolkit and conceptual lexicon of many investigations from the fields of heritage and memory studies. Although it is true that the past continues to be an important asset in constructing appropriate national identities legitimizing political structures and administrative frameworks, post-structural theories about governing and statecraft show that culture is not only the domain of the nation-state but serves a variety of agendas. Drawing on two case studies exploring the social, cultural, economic, and diplomatic entanglements of heritage politicization in the Russian Federation, this chapter encourages its readership to transcend their focus on the nexus heritage-nation-building and explore the imbrications between heritage and statecraft. By looking at how international players and private companies use the past in their efforts of crafting appropriate institutional landscapes and governable subjects adhering to convenient regimes of truth and power structures, this chapter encourages researchers from the field of heritage and memory studies to diversify their theoretical and methodological toolkit in investigations of the use of history in modern politics.