The intensity of the relations between Sweden and Russia is defined by economic interests
The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities has made a significant contribution to the maintenance of a favorable climate in the relations of Sweden and Russia. Significant efforts for the organization and the success of the conference “Migration and cultural encounters in the Baltic Sea region” were made by Eric Norberg, secretary of the Academy.
Swedish-Russian relations in the past used to be rather problematic. At present, they can be qualified as benevolent indifference. Still, there are groups of people both in Sweden and Russia whose relations are of a much friendlier and warmer kind. What do you think we have to do to lift up the relations between Russians and Swedes to the level of the relations between Russians and Germans?
In scientific exchange, these initiatives very often come from individuals, so to intensify contacts, we should make it easier for people to meet. However, there are practical difficulties.
One is language: very few Swedes master Russian, and many people think it’s difficult to travel. So to put it simply, it must be easier to meet.
In Northern Europe and in the Baltic Sea area, there are many different forms of international integration. Very often we hear that the Baltic Sea region is actually like a good example of efficient regional integration. Still, the international relations haven’t become truly international yet. Do the existing forms of regional cooperation need an adjustment?
I’m not very formal; I mean it’s easy to think of the Baltic area in terms of political organizations, European Union, NATO and so on, but those people we’re dealing with – the scientists, the researchers – they don’t care about politics. I mean they look upon quite other themes – that is the common history or where to find this or this matter which is important to this and this problem, so I still think it’s important to make it easier for scientists to meet, fund meetings and travels, and arrange travels for ordinary people. Some organizations in Sweden, for instance, the army museums, organize travels to Russia, to the scenes of historic battles, and people are so interested in this. For example, the Battle of Poltava means both the Swedish interest in history and trips to Russia and Ukraine.
This is despite the fact that the military history of Sweden is not very topical anymore, as Sweden is a very peaceful country now?
It has nothing to do with that. People are so interested. You know, people are reading traditional military history.
If I’m not mistaken it was Peter Englund’s book about Poltava; it was also published in Russian, and now it’s very difficult to find.
It was in a way instrumental for this.
Is your Academy engaging in any other activities towards Russia, concerning its history and humanities, apart from this conference?
Tomorrow, we are having in this house a two-day conference on vexillology that has to do with heraldry, emblems and flags, banners and standards. It will mainly involve Swedish and Russian art historians and museum people; Vilinbakhov from St. Petersburg is coming. Most of the things we fund are individual. For instance, those people in the Slavic institutions have lots of projects which we are funding, and together with Russian researchers they had a one-day seminar on Bakhtin last week. On the basis of which institution?
The Slavic Institution in Stockholm; it was led by Professor Per-Arne Bodin, he’s a linguist. We are also funding this Novgorod project; the 17th century archive of Novgorod has been published.
Was it published in Swedish?
It has been published in Sweden, yes, but in English.
One hundred years ago St. Petersburg was for the young generation of the Swedes the same as New York now is for many young Europeans. But the world has changed, and any historical analogy can be viewed in different ways. Still, St. Petersburg remains a great and famous city. Do you think there will be a time when the young Swedes again are drawn to St. Petersburg, maybe not for the opportunities of making money like it was once; do you think the intensity of this human traffic between St. Petersburg and, for example, Stockholm or Sweden will be reinstated again?
I do believe that it has to do something with money. Even in that period, both businessmen and skillful artisans went there. Of course, St. Petersburg attracts people who are interested in culture. But to make it really influential, I do think that businessmen must go first.