TALK AND DISCUSSION

The history of Ukraine has been systematically weaponized in the pursuit of geopolitical gains – most recently by Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. This talk proposes a re-reading of the historical entanglements between Ukraine and Russia, against the grain of empire. From disputes over mythical foundations, territorial shifts, and transformations, to brutal attempts at symbolic and cultural erasure, the relationship has been fraught for centuries. When learning about Ukraine, focusing on Russian imperial history values conquest over the slower, complex, creolization and hybridization of Ukrainian identities in a space historically multicultural. Ultimately, the lecture will provide avenues to reflect together on the meaning of decolonization in Ukraine, a necessity for the country’s future recovery.

Bio: Olivia Durand is a French historian, currently a postdoctoral fellow at Freie Universität Berlin. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Oxford and has been working on settler colonialism in the nineteenth century, focusing on the comparison of the Russian Empire and the United States. This work led her to do extensive stays in Ukraine, where she worked in local archives. She has published for media outlets such as The Conversation UK, and her latest journal article on Southern Ukraine is currently in open access.

Entrance free

Drinks are available.

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