Research Seminar: “The Emergence of the ‘Enemy’ Image: The Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia in Soviet Propaganda (1948–1949)”

On March 26, 2026, another research seminar was held by the Marin Drinov Center for Bulgarian and Balkan Studies at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The seminar focused on a relevant and underexplored topic: “The Emergence of the ‘Enemy’ Image: The Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia in Soviet Propaganda (1948–1949).”

The event served as an important platform for discussing the complex processes of political narrative transformation in post-war Europe, as well as the mechanisms of ideological confrontation during the early Cold War period. The seminar speaker was Dmytro Maksymov, a fourth-year student of the School of History at Karazin University, who delivered a comprehensive presentation based on the analysis of a wide range of sources — from Soviet periodicals to official party documents.

In his presentation, he thoroughly examined the preconditions of the ideological conflict between the USSR and the Yugoslav leadership, particularly following the split between the Cominform and Yugoslavia in 1948. Special attention was given to the role of Josip Broz Tito in shaping the negative image of Yugoslavia in Soviet propaganda. The speaker demonstrated how, within a short period of time, a former ally was rapidly transformed into an “enemy,” accompanied by the active use of propagandistic clichés and accusations of “nationalism,” “deviationism,” and “betrayal of the socialist camp.”

During the seminar, participants engaged in a lively discussion, addressing both the historical aspects of the Soviet–Yugoslav conflict and broader issues related to the construction of the “other” in political propaganda. The importance of such research for understanding contemporary information processes and propaganda practices was also emphasized.

A recording of the seminar is available via the link.