Online Course: Ukrainian Poetic Resistance: From Empire to War

In view of the current shocking and epoch-making events, we are called to broaden our understanding of Ukrainian literature and culture. We have all been shattered and outraged by Russia’s horrifying war against Ukraine and at the same time astounded by the courage and resistance of Ukrainian people. But what are the origins of this war? What is at stake in it?

If you are keen to put the war into a broader perspective and learn more about Ukrainian literature and culture, we would like to let you know about the opportunity to join the on-line course “Ukrainian Poetic Resistance: From Empire to War”. This course will provide an overview of the history of Ukrainian literature and culture from the emergence of modern Ukrainian literature in the 18th century to the poetry expressing trauma and resilience in the face of Russia’s full-blown war against Ukraine unfolding before our eyes. The course will follow the trajectory of Ukraine’s modern history through a particular prism: by focusing on poetry and the theme of resistance. You will read and discuss a great number of salient works ranging from the innovative anti-imperial texts of the serf-turned-national poet Taras Shevchenko to the contemporary poets, such as Serhiy Zhadan, many of whom are living and writing through the ongoing war in the affected Ukrainian cities.

Practical details:

Lecturer: Dr. Bohdan Tokarskyi is a former URIS Fellow, a Senior Research Fellow at the European Times project (EUTIM) and Lecturer at the University of Potsdam, and former Affiliated Lecturer in Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge.

Registration and zoom link: please express your interest via email (subject: “Ukrainian Course Interest”) to: bohdan.tokarskyi@uni-potsdam.de

Time: 18:15–19:45 (CET) every Thursday. The start date: Thursday 28 April. There is a possibility to join separate course sessions too.

This course will take place online and will be held in English, with some materials provided in German (questions in German are welcome too!) It is open to students at Swiss and German universities. Knowledge of Ukrainian is not required or expected for this course.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to write to Dr. Bohdan Tokarskyi at: bohdan.tokarskyi@uni-potsdam.de

Also interesting

Benjamin Schenk in der bz Basel über die Geschichte und Absicht unserer Initiative "Ukrainian Research in Switzerland" (URIS), die 2014 ins Leben gerufen wurde. Der Krieg in der Ukraine hat die Tätigkeiten von URIS verändert und neue Schwerpunkte gesetzt.

Vladimir Putin legitimiert seinen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine unter anderem mit dem Kampf gegen den dort vermeintlich weitverbreiteten extremen Nationalismus. Tatsächlich war der ukrainische Nationalismus dem russischen Staat immer ein Dorn im Auge – vor allem aber aufgrund seiner emanzipatorischen Eigenschaften.

Prof. Sergiy Kudelia im Gespräch mit Blick über die Aussichten einer Einigung zwischen Russland und der Ukraine und welche Möglichkeiten für Frieden er sieht.