NISE - National movements & Intermediary Structures in Europe

27/07/2026

🚨 New SnM Article! 🚨

This article examines the role of Intourist, the Soviet Union’s state-run travel agency, in shaping foreign perceptions of the Soviet Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—during the Cold War. It argues that Intourist was central to the promotion of Soviet nationalism through the careful curation of tourist experiences designed to project a positive image of Soviet governance and socialist modernity. Through tightly managed itineraries, trained guides, and controlled narratives, the agency highlighted industrial progress, urban development, cultural institutions, and modern infrastructure as evidence of the success and stability of the Soviet system, while deliberately countering Western criticism and negative propaganda. Despite the Soviet regime’s suppression of local nationalist aspirations, Intourist selectively incorporated elements of Baltic culture into its tours in order to enhance the region’s appeal to foreign visitors, presenting folklore, architecture, and historical sites as traditions preserved and elevated under socialism. This strategy reflected a calculated balance between promoting Soviet unity and acknowledging regional heritage within strictly defined ideological boundaries. The presence of exile tourists from the Baltic States posed particular challenges, as their memories of pre-Soviet independence and experiences of displacement often fostered scepticism towards official narratives, necessitating careful management, surveillance, and narrative control to prevent dissent. At the same time, tourism held significant economic importance for the Soviet Union by generating hard currency essential for funding state projects and acquiring Western goods and technology, although ideological constraints and political sensitivities frequently limited its financial potential. Overall, the article highlights the complex interplay between tourism, nationalism, and propaganda, demonstrating how Intourist navigated ideological, economic, and cultural pressures to project a favorable image of Soviet rule while contending with the realities of local identities and international perceptions.

Read Marta Starostina’s article ‘Constructed Nationalism in Heritage Tourism and Identity in the Soviet Baltics' here! 👇

This article examines the role of Intourist, the Soviet Union’s state-run travel agency, in shaping foreign perceptions of the Soviet Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—during the Cold War. It argues that Intourist was central to the promotion of Soviet nationalism through the carefu...

20/07/2026

🚨 New SnM Article! 🚨

Migration and diaspora communities exert a profound influence on societies, identities, and governance structures, instigating transformative experiences for individuals navigating between their origins and new residencies.

This article scrutinizes the substantial role played by Albanian diaspora communities from the mid-19th century to 1912 in shaping the Albanian identity long before the establishment of a nation-state. Challenging established theories, this work emphasizes the pivotal contribution of diaspora intellectuals in instigating nationalist activities and fostering a cohesive "nation". Despite challenges such as linguistic diversity and a lack of written tradition, the diaspora significantly shaped Albanian identity beyond religious affiliations. By utilizing documents from the Albanian Central State Archive, this investigation validates the role of the Albanian Diaspora in Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, and the United States as 'transnational' actors engaged in sustained interactions. The study outlines how members of these societies upheld continuous communication, centered on translating, printing, and disseminating texts among Albanians worldwide while also offering ongoing support to Albanians living in Albania. This sheds light on the often-underestimated role of diaspora intellectuals. They are portrayed as being entirely disconnected from the development of the Albanian state – a state created out of the Balkan and First World Wars.

Read Deona Çali’s article 'Shaping Albanian National Identity Across Borders: The Role of Diaspora Societies' here! 👇

Migration and diaspora communities exert a profound influence on societies, identities, and governance structures, instigating transformative experiences for individuals navigating between their origins and new residencies. This article scrutinizes the substantial role played by Albanian diaspora co...

15/07/2026

🚨 New SnM Article! 🚨

Arguing that the field of nationalism studies has traditionally been underpinned by the traditional dichotomy between forgetting and memory, this article will highlight the important role (social) forgetting plays in the construction of national identities. Using Benedict Anderson’s notion of ‘characteristic amnesia’ as a starting point, the article will further develop his concept by introducing the notions of ‘enframed’ and ‘diffusion’ as key elements to understand the relevance of ‘characteristic amnesia’ for studying nationalism. To underscore this point, the article will apply the redefined concept to the cases of nationalism in Quebec and Flanders from the period of 1945 to 1980, as the two cases strikingly illustrate how in similar social and economic circumstances, a divergence in the form of characteristic amnesias has contributed to the political transformation of nationalism and national identity.

Want to read Kas Swerts’ article ‘Reconsidering the dynamic between memory and forgetting in nationalism studies. An analysis of “Characteristic Amnesias” in Flanders and Quebec (1945-1980)’? Click on the link! 👇

Arguing that the field of nationalism studies has traditionally been underpinned by the traditional dichotomy between forgetting and memory, this article will highlight the important role (social) forgetting plays in the construction of national identities. Using Benedict Anderson’s notion of ‘c...

26/06/2026

✍️ New Publication alert! ✍️

The latest volume of Studies on National Movements (SnM), NISE’s online peer-reviewed journal, is out now. Read the new volume now by clicking on the link! 👇🏻

22/06/2026

Please consider signing the letter of support!

❗The MSc in Nationalism in Global Perspective at the University of Edinburgh is to close from next year.

Please sign and share ASEN's letter to the Vice-chancellor, Prof Sir Peter Mathieson, asking for it to be reconsidered - head to asen.ac.uk/edinburghMSc to add your name

09/06/2026

📦 Today is International Archives Day. 📦

This year’s theme – Archives for Justice – highlights organisations and archives that play a role in recognising or defending the rights of individuals or peoples. One such organisation is the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), whose archives are held by the ADVN.

In September 1990, delegates from various nations and peoples gathered in the small town of Tartu in Estonia, then still part of the Soviet Union. The aim was to raise the concerns and issues of peoples and nations not represented in the United Nations. This led to the ambition to establish an organisation that could serve as a forum for the various peoples and nations and support them in achieving their goals through non-violent and democratic means. The result was the founding of UNPO – ‘an alternative UN’ – in The Hague in February 1991. With its first workshop in 1993 on the theme of ‘Self-Determination’, UNPO placed important issues such as the definition of the right to self-determination and the right to cultural autonomy or economic freedom on the global political agenda.

The UNPO archives offer a unique insight into how political issues relating to cultural and/or political autonomy have taken shape over recent decades. Furthermore, the fact that UNPO is organising a new workshop on the theme of ‘Self-determination’ in August this year demonstrates that the issue remains highly topical.

Want to find out more about UNPO? There’s a workshop in August! Click on the link in the comments now! 👇

23/02/2026

🗣️ Last Saturday was International Mother Language Day. 🗣️

Language as a key component of both an individual and collective identity has since time immemorial formed a central tenet in nationalism studies. The research in particular on ‘Romantic Nationalism’ has shown how since the late 18th and early 19th century, linguistics, as Czech scholar Miroslav Hroch argued, were essential in developing a distinct national identity. National identity, put simply, can not exist without language.

👉 To learn more about Romantic Nationalism, click on the link in the comments!

05/02/2026

🚨 Introducing our latest NISE project: Natan! 🚨

With the World Cup approaching, colleagues Kas and Nick decided to take a closer look at all the national anthems of the participating countries. That is why they are launching the “National Anthems” (Natan) project. The aim is to create an accessible overview, highlighting links and recurring themes.

They are currently busy adding this information to the digital DIANE database and building a new platform on the NISE website, where the findings will soon be available for consultation.

Interested? Follow this project on our social media channels!