Monuments and Landmarks in Decolonisation and Decommunization Processes: A Comparison of Romania and Bulgaria with Trinidad & Tobago
Keywords:
Bulgaria; postcolonial; post-communist; Romania; Trinidad & TobagoAbstract
In the light of the presence of ongoing debates and discussions on the legacies of colonisation and/or communism, this article presents a comparative desk-based qualitative overview of approaches regarding relevant monuments and landmarks in three selected countries – the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, and the two southeastern European nations of Romania and Bulgaria. After giving a succinct summary of the historical aspects and sociocultural composition of the three countries, the study then presents nascent steps which have recently been taken in Trinidad & Tobago to address this aspect of the colonial legacy, including the creation of an officially-designated Cabinet Appointed Committee to Review the Placement of Statues, Monuments, and Signage in the country, as well as an initial public consultation on the matter in August 2024. With the situation in Trinidad & Tobago still at an early stage, the article then uses a range of recently scholarly literature to consider the state of affairs in Bulgaria and Romania. The focus is primarily on the fate of several domestic Communist-era monuments in the years after 1989, thereby providing perspectives on some of the relevant political and societal discussions and debates. Reiterating that this process is still ongoing in Trinidad & Tobago, the article concludes by proffering some brief considerations for further analysis and research on the topic.
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