How Nations Emerge and Disappear

Tamara Eidelman — historian, writer, educator, and creator of a popular YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers — will give a lecture titled "How Nations Emerge and Disappear" in Lisbon on January 22 at 19:00.

A few centuries ago, people did not define themselves by nationality but by their faith, their city, or the lord they served. In ancient Greece, Athenians and Spartans spoke the same language yet did not consider themselves “one people.” In the Middle Ages, students could freely travel across Europe — for them, the unity of scholars mattered more than place of origin.

It was only in the second half of the 18th century, when nation-states were already taking shape, that the idea of a “national spirit” emerged. In the 19th century, nationalism seemed like a movement of liberation, but soon turned into an ideology of superiority and chauvinism. The 20th century showed what belief in “titular” nations and “natural” borders can lead to.

Today, historians still debate what a nation is — biology, a social construct, or a political tool? This lecture is an attempt to understand where the idea of the nation came from and why the myth of “brotherly peoples” remains so resilient.

After the lecture, there will be an opportunity for attendees to ask Tamara Eidelman questions.

When: January 22 at 19:00
Where: Leap 7RIOS - Centro de Escritórios

The lecture will be conducted in Russian.

Doors open at 18:30.