Blavatnik Archive Foundation

POSTCARDS OF THE SIEGE [THE BLAVATNIK ARCHIVE IS BUILDING AN EXPLORATION WEBSITE FOR ITS COLLECTION OF POSTCARDS PRINTED DURING, AND IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF, THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD (1941-1944), A MILITARY BLOCKADE BY NAZI GERMANY THAT TOOK NEARLY A MILLION SOVIET LIVES DURING WORLD WAR II. THIS PROJECT OFFERS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN WORLD HISTORY THROUGH IMMERSIVE STORIES BASED ON INDIVIDUAL POSTCARDS, OVERVIEWS OF THE IDEOLOGIES THAT SHAPED THEIR PRODUCTION, AND HUMAN-INTEREST STORIES ABOUT THEIR CREATORS. EXAMINING THE SIEGE THROUGH THE LENS OF POSTCARDS BRINGS TO LIGHT THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DIRE CONDITIONS OF THE BLOCKADE, THE SOVIET STATE?S PROPAGANDA TACTICS, THE CITY?S ARTISTIC PERSEVERANCE, AND THE LENINGRADERS? DESPERATE EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. AT THE SAME TIME, IT CHALLENGES AND ENRICHES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSSIBLE ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE POSTCARD AS A COMMUNICATION MEDIUM AND CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACT.]

POSTCARDS FROM THE SIEGE: MESSAGES FROM THE BESIEGED CITY OF LENINGRAD [THE BLAVATNIK ARCHIVE SEEKS THE DIGITAL PROJECTS FOR THE PUBLIC PROTOTYPING GRANT TO CREATE AN IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING AND ?DEEP DIVE? EXPLORATION PLATFORM FOR OUR COLLECTION OF POSTCARDS PUBLISHED AND MAILED DURING THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD (1941?1944), A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE SOVIET UNION DURING WORLD WAR II. THE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS OF THESE POPULAR MATERIAL CULTURE ARTIFACTS , INCLUDING: AS OBJECTS OF PROPAGANDA, AS WORKS OF ART AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS, AND AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. THIS UNIQUE MATERIAL OFFERS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL DATA TO INTERESTS IN WWII, SOVIET PROPAGANDA, AND SOVIET ART; SPEAKS TO THE HUMAN NEED FOR COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF ISOLATION, TEACHES MASS MEDIA CRITICAL ANALYSIS SKILLS, AND HAS BROAD AUDIENCE APPEAL BECAUSE OF ITS STRIKING AND VARIED ART STYLES. WE WILL DEVELOP PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT BRINGS TOGETHER EXPERT ANALYSIS, INNOVATIVE MULTIMEDIA-BASED STORYTELLING, AND A VISUALLY RICH, INTERACTIVE DIGITAL PLATFORM.]