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The second thematic roundtable in the framework of the “Jewish Heritage in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Reflections Through the Lenses of Archival Documents, Culture, History and Literature” project (in partnership with UNESCO)

Organizer: Literary Heritage Research Group, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Date: May 27, 2026

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Venue: KMBS Big Space (12/4 Voloska St., Building 7, 4th floor, room 401)

Language: English

Attendance by pre-registration — Please fill the form

Format: mixed (offline and online).

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Event Abstract

The second thematic roundtable of the Literary Heritage Research Group, in the framework of the research project “Jewish Heritage in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Reflections Through the Lenses of Archival Documents, Culture, History and Literature,” implemented in partnership with UNESCO with the financial support from the European Union. The project seeks to explore the Jewish heritage of Ukraine through the perspectives of various academic disciplines, to develop a comprehensive understanding of its contribution to the country’s multicultural history, and to promote broader public engagement and scholarly dialogue in this field.

The history of Ukrainian–Jewish relations encompasses both painful and traumatic episodes, as well as numerous examples of solidarity and cooperation. At the same time, narratives about the past are often burdened by cultural stereotypes and the legacy of totalitarian propaganda. For this reason, the present roundtable is conceived as an effort to address gaps in mutual knowledge and understanding.

Within the framework of the discussion, participants will engage with a range of questions: How does our understanding of the past shape perceptions of who we are today? What are the risks and advantages of comparative approaches when discussing the Holocaust and the Holodomor as genocidal practices? What role have totalitarian propaganda narratives played in the formation of national memories during and after the Second World War? Why is the Second World War not identical to the “Great Patriotic War” in either Ukrainian or Jewish memory? Does silence surrounding trauma constitute a form of communication or, conversely, a rupture in communication? Can narratives about the past evolve over time? And can Kyiv be understood as a city of visible multiculturalism?

Invited international speakers:

1. Myroslav Shkandrij — PhD, Professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Manitoba (Canada), researcher of Ukrainian–Jewish cultural relations and the history of modernism;

2. Amelia Glaser — PhD, Professor of Literature and Jewish Studies at the University of California, San Diego (USA), researcher of Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Jewish–Slavic literary interaction;

3. Marianne Hirsch — PhD, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University (USA), researcher of cultural memory, postmemory, and visual culture;

4. Olga Bertelsen — PhD in History, Professor of International Relations and History, researcher of Soviet history, mass violence, and memory politics in Eastern Europe.

Moderator:

Roman Veretelnyk — Doctor of Philosophy in Literary Studies, Head of the Volodymyr Morenets Department of Literary Studies, Senior Project Researcher.

Discussants:

Iryna Borysiuk — Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Volodymyr Morenets Department of Literary Studies, Literary Heritage Group Coordinator;

Olha Poliukhovych — Candidate of Philological Sciences, Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Volodymyr Morenets Department of Literary Studies, Project Leader and Academic Director;

Rostyslav Semkiv — Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Volodymyr Morenets Department of Literary Studies, Senior Project Researcher.

Other representatives of the NaUKMA academic community.

Programme of the Event:

● Opening remarks — Roman Veretelnyk

● Presentations by invited international speakers (Duration of each presentation: up to 20 minutes)

● Open discussion following each presentation by an invited international speaker — 10 minutes

● Final open discussion between all participants and the audience

● Closing remarks — Olha Poliukhovych