Program

As always, Ukrainicum begins with its language courses, taught by our experienced instructors: 

• Dr. Lesia Nazarevych (Ternopil State University) – Beginners                                 
• Dr. Natalia Bahniuk (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv) – Intermediate                     
• Prof. Hanna Shvets’ (Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv) – Advanced 

A traditional highlight marks the opening of our summer school: a keynote address by the renowned Swiss scholar and publicist Prof. Ulrich Schmid (University of St. Gallen), followed by cultural historian Prof. Alexander Dmitriev (Charles University, Prague), who offers a unique historical perspective on the catastrophic failure of Ukrainian-Russian dialogue that preceded the war. Prof. Michael Moser (University of Vienna), a leading international authority on Ukrainian language, will trace the complex history of multilingualism in Ukraine – one of the most contentious issues in contemporary Ukrainian identity debates. In the second week, Dr. Oksana Myshlovs’ka (U Bern), an expert on international history and politics, will examine how the silencing of critical voices within Ukraine contributed to the outbreak of violence and destruction of its peace. Dr. Ernö Heidel (Lund U) will explore how national narratives are constructed through national mythologies of Golden Age, Lost Paradise or Promised Land. 

Further highlights include: 

• A roundtable on nostalgia with Dr. Anna Novikov and Prof. Roman Dubasevych (both University of Greifswald), investigating how various societies long for (im)perfect worlds in times of turbulence – from Ukraine to Israel.                                                
• Dr. Marina Dmitrieva (Leipzig University), who will discuss artistic responses to the war in Ukraine and Russia, offering insights into how art history can be de-centered and decolonized.
• Dr. Volodymyr Ishchenko (Free University of Berlin), who will analyze the deeper causes of the war in the broader context of post-Soviet developments, the local and global crises of hegemony.                                                                                        
• Dr. Susann Worschech (Viadrina University, Frankfurt/Oder), coordinator of the Competence Network Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies (KIU), who will speak on Ukrainian civil society and its ongoing struggle for democratization.     
• At the end of the first week, translator and scholar Lydia Nagel (University of Greifswald) will host our traditional and acclaimed workshop on translation. 

In addition to language instruction, seminars, and evening lectures, the program includes screenings of two films – among them the aforementioned Nazarii Iaremchuk: The Unmatched World of Beauty (2024). We will also take a group excursion on the first Sunday to the scenic Baltic Sea spa island of Rügen.