Diversity of Thinking in Russia (1945-2008)
(St. Petersburg, 15-16 May 2009)

Organizers: European University of St. Petersburg with assistance from CISR.
The conference continued the debate of the phenomenon of diverse thinking that was stimulated by the publication of Boris Firsova's book entitled, 'Diverse Thinking in the USSR of the 1940s-1960s: History, Theory and Practices' (St. Petersburg, published by the European University of St. Petersburg and the European House, 2008). The conference was aimed at an increase in not only academic, but also in societal interest in the analysis of the Soviet system and the reasons for its failure. Bringing the analysis of diverse thinking to bear on the present day, conference participants attempted to define its role in the development of modern Russian society.
Conference proceedings supported by the European University in St. Petersburg and the Gargarin Foundation.

Public Space and Social Ties in a Modern City: the Present and the Future
International conference (St. Petersburg, 3-5 July 2008)

The conference organized by CISR was held as a sequel to a debate on the status of urban public spaces and the ability of the latter to produce and maintain different forms of social life.
Participants focused on the question: do we really observe disappearing public spaces or do the later still have a potential for regeneration and revival (as spaces where social exclusion was overcome)?. As a collection of papers, the reports presented at the conference will be published (in English) in summer 2009.
On July 4th, 2008, simultaneously with the conference, a photo exhibition "Square Lives" representing social scientists' insight into the public life of a city, was organized in the Dostoevsky Literary- Memorial Museum. This photo-exhibition is a result of the exploration of public spaces of European cities (St. Petersburg, Manchester, Sofia, and Lvov), obtained in the course of photographic and socio-anthropologic observation of everyday life and holidays of the city districts, their inhabitants, spaces and architecture. The general idea of the exhibition is a concept of "publicity" of the city space as historically developed "public space", that some researchers call "a flesh and stone" of a city (Richard Sennett), and other specify as "a window into a city's soul" (Sharon Zukin). Photos presented at the exhibition were published in a picture album based on research material. ("Public Places in European Cities" / Ed. Svetlana Hristova, Oleh Rybchynsky, Craig Young, Oleg Pachenkov. Kiev, 2008).
The conference and the photo-exhibition finalized the international research project "Reimaging of Public Space in European Cities and its Role in Social and Ethnocultural Integration" (2006-2008).
Supported by the INTAS (International Association for the Promotion of Cooperation with Scientists from the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union).

Conference of theљGraduates of theљHeinrich Boell Foundation Grant Program

Organisers: "Memorial" (Moscow), CISR and Heinrich Boell Foundation.
TheљCISR is one of theљcoordinators of theљinternational program in support of young scholars, which has been organised with theљgoal of fostering independent research in theљsocial sciences. In theљframework of theљprogram 28љyearly stipends are awarded to young researchers who are investigating different aspects of theљthemes "Totalitarianism: ideology and practice," "Human rights in contemporary Russia," and "Discrimination and minority rights" (eight of these stipends were in support of young sociologists). Yearly conferences and schools are organised by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation in St.љPetersburg and Moscow (St.љPetersburg: 17-22љSeptember 1998, 4-7љNovember 1999, 18-24љJune 2001, 24-26љNovember 2005, 2-8љMarch 2006; Moscow: 16-22љMarch 2003, 16-22љMarch 2004). During these meetings scholars from different German and Russian cities, as well as Russian and German sociologists, historians and representatives of human-rights historical societies lecture, present their research results and assess theљeffectiveness of theљgrant program.
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation.

Health and Changing Society: Discourse, Policies and Everyday Life in Contemporary Russia
(St.љPetersburg, 14-15љDecember 2005)

Organisers: CISR, Tampere School of Public Health (University of Tampere, Finland).
Theљseminar was conducted in theљframework of theљproject "Health Values and Changing Society in Russia" with theљgoal of bringing together experts in theљarea of public health policy, sociologists, journalists, and researchers from other areas of study who are interested in theљsocial and cultural determinants of health. At theљseminar theљfollowing themes were discussed: contemporary public health policy; discourses in theљattitudes to health; and theљphenomenon of health in theљeveryday in light of theљchanges which have taken place in Russian society.
Supported by theљAcademy of Finland.

Social Work with Persons Invovled in Prostitution:
Tasks, Experience, Perspectives
(St.љPetersburg, 14љDecember 2005)

Organiser: CISR.
Theљfollowing themes were discussed at theљseminar: commercial sex-workers as aљsocially vulnerable group; theљdevelopment of anљaccessible medico-social service - theљcondition of HIV-prevention and theљprevention of other STDs; theљexperience of effective work with persons involved in prostitution in St.љPetersburg, theљother cities of Russia and theљUkraine; theљbasis of aљpreliminary prophylaxis of involvement in prostitution.
Supported by theљInternational Harm Reduction Development Program (Soros Foundation, New York).

Prostitution in St.љPetersburg: Social and Legal Aspects
(St.љPetersburg, 20љMay 2005)

Organiser: CISR.
Theљfollowing questions were discussed at theљseminar: prostitution as one of St.љPetersburg's social problems; theљmeans of unionising and maintenance in theљsex- business; minors as one of theљvulnerable groups; theљforms of risk to which person offering sexual services are exposed; legislation and its application in this area; theљactivities of NGOs in theљprevention and reduction of specific risks for sex-workers; theљexperience abroad of theљsocial worker with theљproblem of prostitution.
Supported by theљInternational Harm Reduction Development Program (Soros Foundation, New York).

World WarљII in Oral Accounts
Interdisciplinary workshop (St.љPetersburg, 21-22љMay 2004)

Organisers: Institute for Oral History (Department of History) and Ethnology Department of theљEuropean University at St.љPetersburg, CISR.
This was theљfirst interdisciplinary workshop in theљcycle "Official history vs. oral history". Theљpurpose of theљcycle is to discuss experiences with work on oral history in different disciplines (history, sociology, ethnology). Theљdifferences in terminology, methods of collecting and interpreting verbal information, and ways of understanding theљpurposes of analysing them weren't considered obstacles in theљscientists' dialogue; they served rather as additional resources for further research activity. Theљcentral subjects of theљworkshop were theљresearch of oral memoirs about World WarљII provided by eye-witnesses (soldiers, occupied territories' inhabitants, ost-arbeiters, people who lived through theљSiege and evacuation, etc.) and anљevaluation of how theљyounger generations and unoccupied territories' inhabitants interpret theљevents of theљwar.
Supported by theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation.

Sustainable Strategies of Local Development
Seminar and pilot field research (Irkutsk, Irkutsk oblast, theљRepublic of Buriatia, 1- 11љAugust 2002)

Organisers: CISR, Centre for Independent Social Research and Education (Irkutsk).
In theљframework of theљseminar, results of theљproject "Baikal Siberia: theљfragments of socio-cultural map" were discussed (collection of articles with theљsame name was published at theљend of 2002 / ed. M.љRozhansky).
Supported by theљFord Foundation.

Prospects of Youth Studies in Russia
Seminar (Ulyanovsk, 23-26љMarch 2002)

Organisers: CISR, Research Centre "Region" (Ulyanovsk).
During theљseminar methodological and methodical aspects of youth sociological studies were discussed along with theљfollowing concrete research topics: city youth subcultures, drug addiction in theљyouth environment, generational problems and theљprospects of youth sociology. Aљbasis for joint comparative study was prepared.
Supported by theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation.

Social Ethics: TheљResponsibility of theљIndividual, Public Organisations, theљChurch and theљState in theљSocial Sphere
Russian-German Conference (St.љPetersburg, 17-18љDecember 2001)

Organisers: CISR, Goethe- Institut, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, St.љPetersburg Association of Sociologists (SPAS), and Centre for German and European Studies (ZDES, Bielefeld/St.љPetersburg).

Civil Society in Nordic Europe
International workshop (St.љPetersburg, 18-19љJanuary 1996)

Organisers: CISR, Karelian Institute at theљUniversity of Joensuu (Finland).
During theљworkshop theљconcepts of civil society and theљproblems of its formation in Nordic Europe were discussed. Theљparticipants in theљseminar were researchers from Russia (Petrozavodsk and St.љPetersburg), Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Theљresults of theљworkshop were published in Working Papers of theљCISR (Vol.љ3).
Supported by theљUniversity of Joensuu (Finland).

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