Under Monuments: Colonial Heritage in the Tiergarten - Instytut Pileckiego

Another busy week at the Pilecki Institute kicks off tomorrow! The panel discussion “Under Monuments: Colonial Heritage in the Tiergarten” takes place as part of “Erinnerungswoche.”

Another busy week at the Pilecki Institute kicks off tomorrow!

The panel discussion “Under Monuments: Colonial Heritage in the Tiergarten” takes place as part of “Erinnerungswoche.” The event also reflects the longstanding engagement of both the Pilecki Institute and Vitsche with the question of how to address the legacy of Soviet war memorials in Berlin. A selection of related events illustrating this engagement can be found below in the comments.

"Under Monuments: Colonial Heritage in the Tiergarten"

Date: May 5, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Soviet Memorial in Tiergarten, Berlin (open-air setting)

Language: English

Panelists: Mariam Naiem, Dr. Christoph Rauhut, Maksym Eristavi, Eva Yakubovska (moderator)

Registration: https://forms.gle/7n5o4zsy6ELFvk5W6

This open-air panel discussion takes place directly at the Soviet Memorial in Tiergarten, where history is materialized in stone and questions of memory, power, and colonial continuity in public space become visible. By holding the dialogue at the monument itself, participants engage with these critical questions in the very space where they manifest.

The discussion brings together three distinguished voices to critically examine why Soviet monuments must be understood as colonial heritage that erases the memories of nations that were part of the Soviet Union, and whether their form can—or should—be changed."

Panelists

Mariam Naiem

An author focused on decolonization, identity, and human rights. Her self-decolonization guide became a bestseller in Ukraine within months of publication, and her graphic novel about the war has been translated into eleven languages. Mariam has spoken at Harvard University, Penn State University, and international conferences in Czechia and Poland. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Al Jazeera, and Politico Europe.

Dr. Christoph Rauhut

State Conservator of Berlin, bringing expertise on monument preservation and handling difficult heritage.

Maksym Eristavi

An award-winning Ukrainian writer, journalist, and cognitive strategist whose work exposes five centuries of Russian imperial violence. He is the author of Russian Colonialism 101, an illustrated guidebook, and founder of Volya Hub, a pioneering cognitive-defense agency. Eristavi also mentors the emerging defense-tech field to build public trust in innovation safeguarding Europe's democratic future.

Central Questions

Why must Soviet monuments be understood as colonial heritage?

How do these monuments erase the memories of nations that were part of the Soviet Union?

Can and should their form be changed?

Moderation

Eva Yakubovska - Pilecki Institute Berlin, Vitsche e.V.