The Greek Community of Melbourne continues its Greek History and Culture Seminars with a compelling online presentation by PhD candidate Naz Vardar, titled “Shaping Vlach Identity: Local Agents and Transnational Competition in Ottoman Manastir in the Early 20th Century.”
The event will stream live on Thursday 12 June 2025 at 7pm AEST (12pm Athens time) via the GCM’s Facebook and YouTube platforms.
Vardar’s presentation delves into the intricate dynamics of identity formation in the early 20th century Ottoman city of Manastir (modern-day Bitola), focusing on the Vlach community amid rising nationalist pressures. Through the story of a local Vlach priest, Vardar explores how everyday figures navigated a web of local tensions and international politics involving the Ottoman Empire, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria.
The seminar sheds light on the critical year of 1905, when the Vlachs officially gained millet status, examining the sociopolitical aftermath and its impact on the community’s sense of identity. It also highlights the strategic roles played by local agents—individuals and groups—who actively negotiated power and identity within a landscape shaped by overlapping nationalisms and transnational ambitions.
Of particular interest is Romania’s interventionist role in the Balkans and the broader contest between competing nation-states over regional influence. Vardar’s research provides a fresh perspective on the Ottoman state’s efforts to contain Greek nationalism and offers a nuanced lens into the evolving landscape of Modern Hellenism.
About the speaker: Naz Vardar is a PhD candidate in the History Department at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, with a research focus on the social and cultural histories of the Ottoman Empire, modern Greece, and Turkey. Her work examines themes of nationalism, class, gender, and emotion, particularly within Greek-Orthodox carnival festivities during the imperial-to-national transition in Asia Minor and Northern Greece. Vardar holds a BA and MA in History from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.
Event Information:
When: Thursday 12 June, 7pm AEST (12:00pm Athens time)
Where: Online via Facebook and YouTube (Greek Community of Melbourne)
