Conference Idea

Conference Venue: The Sapieha Palace

L. Sapiegos st. 13, 10312 Vilnius, Lithuania

Conference programme

Paper abstracts

Directionless Times and the Question of History

1st Vilnius Convention in Historical Theory

29-31 August 2025, Sapieha palace, Vilnius

29 August 2025

09:30 – 10:00 Opening

Introduction and welcome by the organizers

Zoltán Boldizsár Simon & Aurimas Švedas

10:00 – 12:00 Session 1

Ethan Kleinberg

The Vortex, the Constellation, and the Compass: History through Temporal Anarchy

María Inés Mudrovcic

From Time-as-Noun to Time-as-Relation: A Shift in Metaphors, or in Ontology?

Lunch break

13:30 – 15:30 Session 2

Iryna Klymenko

Beyond “Eastern Europe”? Rethinking European History in Times of Unfinished Pasts

Balázs Trencsényi

The Politics of Synchronism and East Central European Political Modernity

Coffee creak

16:00 – 18:00 Session 3

Shahzad Bashir

Time as a Cultivated Garden: Thinking with a Motif in Persian Historiography

Javier Fernández-Sebastián

Directionless Times and other Metaphors in an Age of Uncertainty

30 August 2025

10:00 – 12:00 Session 4

Alexandra Paulin-Booth

About Time: Political Temporalities and Contested Futures Between ‘Left’ and ‘Right’

Eglė Rindzevičiūtė

Orchestrating the Future: Towards the Intellectual and Transnational History of Scientific Prediction

Lunch break

13:30 – 15:30 Session 5

Priya Satia

The Moral Hazard of Linear Time, Or, Recovery of Connection as Historical Means and End

Blake Ewing

Can We Be Left Behind in Directionless Times?                  

Coffee creak

16:00 – 18:00 Session 6

François Hartog

Towards a Cosmo-history

Ewa Domańska

Anticipatory Humanities: Are There Any Historical Futures Beyond Survival?

31 August 2025 / Cinema Paupio Pasaka

10:00 – 12:00 The film director as historian. Conversation with Sergei Loznitsa

Lunch

15:00 Lukiškės Prison (optional tour)

Getting from Vilnius Airport (VNO) to Congress Avenue Hotel (Vilniaus st. 2)

1. By Public Transport (€0.65–€0.90)
Bus Options
Bus 3G: Runs every ~10 min from Airport → City Centre → Green Bridge area.
Buses 1, 2, 88: Each departs every 20–30 min. Routes link Airport → Central Station / Europa Square 

How to pay:

Contactless bank card onboard
Or via mobile apps: m.Ticket / Trafi
30‑min ticket: €0.65
60‑min ticket: €0.90 vilnius-airport.lt+1en.wikipedia.org+1
Route + Walk:

Take any of these buses, get off at Žaliasis tiltas (Green Bridge) or Vinco Kudirkos aikštė (Cathedral Square).
Walk ~5–8 min along Gedimino Ave to Vilniaus g. 2.

2. By Train + Walk (~€0.80–€2)
Take the train from Vilnius Airport station to Vilnius Central Station (about 4.3 km) – 7–10 min, fare ~€0.80–€2 
From Central Station, it’s a 1 km walk (~12 min) to Vilniaus g. 2, or take a short taxi/bus ride.

3. Bolt / Uber mobile app (~€10–15)
Travel time: ~10–15 min
Fare: €10–15 depending on traffic and time

What to See During Your Stay in Vilnius

Užupis – The Republic of Artists

This bohemian district across the Vilnelė River declared itself an independent republic with its own constitution.

The Gediminas' tower

The symbol of Vilnius is visible from many spots in the Old Town and is portrayed in numerous works of art.

The Gates of Dawn (Aušros Vartai)

A sacred pilgrimage site housing an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to have miraculous powers. It’s also the only surviving gate of the old city wall.

The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Located next to the cathedral, this royal residence-turned-museum showcases the history, culture, and power of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.