More than a replica: exhibiting nuclear energy through the model of the Ignalina nuclear power plant

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Collection:
Mokslo publikacijos / Scientific publications
Document Type:
Žurnalų straipsniai / Journal articles
Language:
Anglų kalba / English
Title:
More than a replica: exhibiting nuclear energy through the model of the Ignalina nuclear power plant
Authors:
Dovydaitytė, Linara
In the Journal:
Slavic review, 2025, 84, 4, 823-843
Subject terms:
LT
Kultūros paveldas / Cultural heritage; Parodos / Exhibitions.
Summary / Abstract:

ENThis article investigates the history of displaying nuclear energy from the 1980s to the present by tracing the cultural biography of a scale model of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which operated in Lithuania between 1983 and 2009. By reconstructing the model’s trajectory, from its initial role as a promotional exhibit in Soviet-era industry showcasing to its contemporary status as an artifact of nuclear cultural heritage, the study highlights a shift in the politics and practices of exhibiting the atom, as well as evolving theoretical frameworks and cultural discourses surrounding nuclear energy. The author argues that the model’s movement through industrial, technological, artistic, and heritage domains, along with its diverse functions, has rendered it a techno-political actor that, alongside human and institutional agents, plays a significant role in shaping the dynamics of nuclear culture. Keywords: nuclear cultural heritage, exhibition, scale model, Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, Soviet Lithuania.

DOI:
10.1017/slr.2026.10322
ISSN:
0037-6779; 2325-7784
Subject area:
Menotyra / Arts
Related Publications:
Permalink:
https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/24288
Updated:
2026-07-08 15:51:25
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