The AABS Award for the Best Undergraduate Research Paper in Baltic Studies is granted biennially in recognition of outstanding academic work in the field of Baltic Studies. Submissions are evaluated on the basis of originality, scholarly contribution, quality of academic writing, and the researcher’s demonstrated engagement with the field of study.
“Monuments accompany individuals throughout their lives—from childhood to adulthood—serving as an integral component of the urban landscape,” explains Evelīna Kukarela. “These objects function as enduring reminders of the past, particularly during national holidays and commemorative occasions, when they and the spaces surrounding them become focal sites of remembrance and reflection. The significance of monuments derives not only from their role as physical media that transmit particular meanings across space and time, but also from the efforts of policymakers to define, legitimize, and sustain specific monuments as meaningful elements of collective memory within society.”
The study employed three research methods: visual discourse analysis based on the analytical framework presented in Ahenk Yilmaz’s The Art of Memory; a survey administered to individuals who had grown up in the Cēsis Municipality; and semi-structured interviews with a local sculptor, representatives of civic organizations responsible for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage sites, and local policymakers involved in shaping historical and cultural policy.
The findings demonstrate that monuments continue to play a significant role in the formation of collective memory. “Monuments function as instruments of communication through which political systems promote particular interpretations of history. Each category of monuments analyzed fulfills a distinct role in shaping the region’s collective memory, reflecting changes in understandings of the past and practices of remembrance,” notes the young researcher.
The monuments dedicated to the Latvian War of Independence and the Battles of Cēsis were originally created to foster national sentiment within the local community. While they continue to serve this purpose, they now do so within the framework of the contemporary political system. By contrast, monuments erected during the Soviet period are primarily associated with traumatic historical experiences and are no longer integrated into contemporary structures of collective memory. Monuments constructed during Latvia’s period of restored independence primarily fulfill an informative and educational function.
In 2025, Kukarela obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science with a specialization in Advertising from the University of Latvia. Her academic interests include collective memory, local identity, and regional narratives, with particular attention to their role in shaping public understandings of Latvian society. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Communication Science at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Latvia, further developing her expertise in this field and preparing for doctoral studies.
Kukarela is also involved in the Latvian Council of Science Fundamental and Applied Research Programme project Retelling Riga’s Victory Square (ReVi). Within the framework of this project, she contributes to research examining the transformation of Victory Square following the demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders.
 Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research in Baltic Studies. Under the academic supervision of Professor Vita Zelče, Kukarela’s bachelor’s thesis examined the construction of collective memory through the interaction of history and cultural policy in the Cēsis Municipality.){kind=link}