Russia in Palmyra: Contextualizing the Kremlin’s Postconflict Heritage Rehabilitation Efforts

Abstract

This article analyses the reconstruction efforts of Russian heritage scholars and institutions in Palmyra, Syria. There is little doubt that the financial opportunities provided by the Kremlin for the reconstruction of the war-damaged World Heritage site can be analyzed as propaganda directed at foreign audiences. Drawing on ethnographic and historical research on world heritage politics, this article contextualizes reconstruction efforts as part of a Russian cultural diplomacy goal that promotes the need for a multipolar world. The article also draws attention to the limits of describing Russian heritage reconstruction efforts as foremost international propaganda. The argument is that reconstruction efforts by Russia are deeply connected to domestic and international politics, propagating the Kremlin’s grand narrative that portrays Putin as a leader of a global power that reclaims its status in the international arena. This signifies the increasing endeavors of states to utilize cultural assets for political and legitimation ends.