Researcher: A local dispute over a monument could turn into an international information operation
British security and cultural heritage researcher Craig Ross stated that disputes over monuments or school curricula can quickly turn into international information operations aimed at deepening social divisions. He made these remarks in an interview with LSM English during a visit to Latvia.
Ross, who is working on his doctoral dissertation at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, is researching the connection between cultural heritage and non-traditional threats, hybrid warfare, and security. According to him, monuments, museums, and historical narratives are not only objects to be preserved but also carriers of identity; therefore, they can become targets of manipulation or destruction during conflicts.
As an example, he cited the case of the “Bronze Soldier” monument in Tallinn. For some in society, this monument symbolizes liberation from Nazism, while for others, it represents the Soviet occupation and the loss of Estonia’s sovereignty. According to the researcher, this dispute demonstrated how issues of historical memory can simultaneously spill over into street protests, diplomatic pressure, media narratives, online mobilization, and cyberattacks.
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Ross noted that the Russian Federation—an aggressor state—has long used cultural narratives to exacerbate social tensions. Historical imagery and controversial interpretations of the past, he said, can be spread through social media, automated accounts, state-backed media, paid influencers, and emotionally charged visual content. He identified young people as particularly vulnerable to such messages, as they often encounter them on social media before they do so within the formal education system.
The researcher also mentioned Ukraine, where cultural heritage is being damaged and looted during the war, calling this an attack on identity. In his view, countering manipulation requires media literacy, an accurate and inclusive presentation of history, as well as cooperation among cultural, educational, civil society, and security institutions.
Regarding the removal or renaming of Soviet symbols in the Baltic states, Ross emphasized that democratic societies have the right to decide what to honor in public spaces. At the same time, he considers it important to plan ahead, communicate with communities, and take into account how such decisions could be exploited by hostile actors to fuel conflict.
