© Universität Bielefeld
BGHS.NEWS
Published on
21. May 2026
Category
Allgemein
Linie 4: The present as "musealium". How museums show ongoing wars
Linie 4: The present as "musealium". How museums show ongoing wars
(Foto: Anastasia Serikova)
Objects associated with armies and various types of military action have aroused the interest of collectors and the public for centuries. In today's European museums, however, not only historical but also modern artefacts can be found - such as drones, parts of other weapons or everyday objects from the front. This lecture, which is part of the public lecture series Linie 4 - Neues aus der sozialwissenschaftlichen und historischen Forschung, organised by the BGHS in cooperation with the VHS Bielefeld, focuses on how ideas have changed over the centuries about what things related to war should be kept in museums and shown to the public.
Anastasia Serikova's lecture entitled "Present as "Musealium": How museums display ongoing wars” addresses the question of how today's museums collect and exhibit objects from ongoing wars. For her doctoral thesis, she analysed photos from more than 20 exhibitions on the ongoing war in Ukraine in various countries. Based on her detailed observations, she shows the risks that can arise for museums.
Anastasia Serikova is a museologist and has been working on her doctorate in history at the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology since 2023, funded by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In her scientific and journalistic publications, she deals with Russian museums in the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing in particular on the interpretation of a controversial or contradictory heritage.
The lecture will take place (in German) on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 6.15 pm in room 240 at the vhs Bielefeld, Ravensberger Park 1.