Event Date
Ukrainian Culture and the War Response: Ideas, Memories, Hopes
Vitaly Chernetsky (University of Kansas)
If there is a common thread in the world’s reaction to Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, it is surprise, even astonishment. The strength and perseverance of that resistance came to many as an even greater shock than the brutality and scale of Russia’s invasion itself. Ukraine defied expectations, providing numerous examples of dignity under pressure, social initiative and organization, support of the war effort as well as aiding the displaced and the wounded. Many members of the global expert community who considered themselves socially conscious and well informed had to admit they knew little about Ukraine and had a habit of recycling uncritically absorbed stereotypes and ideological talking points, belatedly realizing their Russian imperialist origin. This talk helps us gain greater understanding of both the scale of Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s culture and identity and of Ukraine’s courageous resistance, exploring examples from the cultural sphere, including visual art, literature, and film.
A native of Odesa, Ukraine, Prof. Vitaly Chernetsky is currently the president of the American Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). He has published widely on modern and contemporary cultures (literature, film, popular culture) of Ukraine, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia and is also a prolific translator from Ukrainian and Russian into English.
Thursday, April 18, 5 p.m.
Wellman 230
