Open call for abstracts of the conference “50 Years of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group: the Evolution of Dissident Movements in Central and Eastern Europe”

In the second half of the 20th century, Lithuania and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe experienced decades of oppression under totalitarian regimes. While these regimes sought to divide society, the desire for freedom and efforts to restore solidarity transcended political systems, historical circumstances and cultural differences. This gave rise to various informal communities and dissident movements, replacing the previously prevalent armed resistance.

While rooted in the experience of Soviet occupation and the broader Soviet Bloc, the history of dissidence in the region also provides an essential framework for understanding developments in post-communist and post-socialist societies, where new forms of civic resistance and dissent have continued to emerge into the 21st century.

In 1975, thirty-five countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Helsinki Final Act, in which the Soviet government committed for the first time to respecting human rights. However, it soon became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled. In response, dissident movements emerged to monitor and expose violations of the Helsinki Accords. 

The legacy of these initiatives extended far beyond the late Soviet period, shaping civic activism, human rights discourse, and transnational solidarity networks that remain relevant in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe and other post-socialist contexts.

Inspired by the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Lithuanian Helsinki Group was founded on November 25, 1976, as an independent public organisation dedicated to documenting human rights abuses, religious discrimination, and political repression in Soviet occupied Lithuania. Operating openly despite intense KGB pressure and persecution, the Lithuanian Helsinki Group became a significant symbol of dissent. It played a dual role: informing the international community about Soviet human rights violations and uniting diverse social and cultural segments within Lithuania around fundamental human rights.

Today, its experience invites reflection not only on historical forms of resistance, but also on the continuities and transformations of dissent in contemporary post-communist societies, including contexts where democratic backsliding, authoritarian tendencies, or renewed restrictions on civil liberties have led to the resurgence of dissident-like movements.

In 2026, Lithuania will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group, a significant milestone in the history of dissidence and the human rights movement in Lithuania and the broader region. On this occasion, we invite scholars, researchers, and experts to submit abstracts for a conference dedicated to exploring the formation, organisational challenges, activities, and legacy of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group and broader dissident movements of the 1970s and later.

The conference also seeks to foster dialogue between historians and scholars of contemporary politics by examining how the traditions, networks, and moral authority of late Soviet dissidence continue to influence or contrast with present-day civic activism and dissent in post-communist and post-socialist countries.

The conference aims to examine in detail the dissident processes that began in the 1970s, their organisational challenges, forms of activity, and impact on the political and social environment in Soviet occupied Lithuania and other countries.

At the same time, it encourages contributions that analyse contemporary dissident movements, civic resistance initiatives, and human rights advocacy in post-communist and post-socialist states, especially where public space, freedom of expression, or fundamental civil rights are contested.

The conference will focus on the history of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group and the broader dissident movement of the 1970s and subsequent years. We invite submissions addressing topics such as:

• The activities and history of Helsinki Groups in Lithuania and other countries occupied or controlled by the Soviet Union
• The dynamics between underground movements, nationally minded societies, and the idea of Helsinki Groups
•  Strategies of dissident activities and human rights defence under the Soviet regime
• Cultural and intellectual resistance movements
• The role of religious communities in the context of dissidence and nonviolent struggle for freedom
• International support for dissidents and information dissemination activities, as well as cooperation between different countries
• Comparative perspectives on dissident movements across the Soviet Bloc and their relations with Western support networks
• The problems faced by Soviet citizens in their struggle for the right to change or leave their place of residence, with a particular focus on the efforts of the Jewish community.
• Continuities and transformations of dissident traditions in post-communist and post-socialist societies
• Contemporary forms of civic resistance, human rights advocacy, and dissident-like movements in Central and Eastern Europe and other post-socialist regions
• Memory, commemoration, and the political uses of dissident heritage in current political debates

Requirements for abstracts

The abstract should be no longer than 300 words. The abstract must include the title of the paper, the first and last names of the author(s), and short biographies of up to 200 words per author. Submission: as a single PDF file.

Other information

Conference date and venue

The conference will take place on 24-25 September 2026. 

Venue: Kaunas, Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus War Museum

Submission of abstracts and questions: [organisers’ contact emails] – [email protected]

No participation or registration fee. 

Following the conference, presenters will be invited to submit their articles to the scientific, peer-reviewed journal

Format: In-person (exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis). 

Duration of the presentation: 20 minutes (+Q&A 10 min.).

Working language: English.

 

Important dates:

Deadline for submissions: 10th  May 2026

Notification of acceptance: 1st June 2026

Conference: 24-25 September 2026

 

Conference Organizing Committee

Working group Leader – Andrius Kupčinskas, Vytautas Magnus War Museum

prof. dr. Gintautas Mažeikis, Vytautas Magnus University

dr. Kristina Burinskaitė, Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania

dr. Laurynas Peluritis, Vilnius University

dr. Valdemaras Klumbys, Lithuanian Institute of History

dr. Zigmas Vitkus, Klaipėda University

Contact Person – Leonardas Augustis – [email protected]

Organisers: The Vytautas Magnus War Museum and the Lithuanian Institute of History

Partners: Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania, Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University, and Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology of Klaipėda University.