Adieu ma Russie. Mémoires orphelines
The Memorial-France association, dedicated to preserving the memory of Soviet-era repression and defending human rights in present-day Russia, is organising a series of events centred on historical and sociological works, political essays and literature. These meetings offer an opportunity to deepen our understanding through discussions with the authors and to debate the key issues surrounding Russia today.
The series opens with Nicolas Werth and his latest book, Adieu ma Russie. Mémoires orphelines, published in September 2026 by Les Belles Lettres. The book retraces two life stories – his own and that of his father – both devoted to the history of the Soviet Union in the twentieth century.
Two generations, two destinies, one shared history: that of Russia in the twentieth century. In this deeply personal book, Nicolas Werth retraces the life of his father, Alexander Werth, a journalist and historian, alongside his own – two lives closely bound up with Russia. From Prague in 1968 to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he weaves together family memories and political history to tell the story of a country shaped by upheavals, hopes and tragedies. An intimate exploration of inheritance, the wounds of history and what it means to devote one's life to understanding Russia.
Nicolas Werth, a historian specialising in Soviet history and the Stalinist regime, and author of around twenty books on the USSR, is Emeritus Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and President of the Memorial-France association.
The event will be chaired by:
Catherine Gousseff, a historian specialising in forced migrations in the Soviet and Eastern European regions. She is Research Director at the CNRS and is based at the Centre for Russian, Caucasian, East European and Central Asian Studies (CERCEC) at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS).
Un cycle organisé en partenariat avec
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Thanks, Bosses!
