Ukraine’s twentieth century was tragically marked by much politically motivated violence and authoritarian regimes as well as movements, from the radical left and the radical right. These forces and events did not only do great harm in the past but left memories and legacies that are still challenging to contemporary Ukraine. In this class, we will focus on several key issues of history, memory, and politics. The readings cannot be exhaustive. Instead, our aim is to read and discuss a sample of important short texts that allow us to reflect more broadly on the underlying questions.
The format of the class is simple: All texts can be found in the reader. The reading load has been kept low and it is essential that all participants make sure to attentively and thoroughly read the texts in advance of our meetings. Every meeting will begin with a presentation of about fifteen minutes by one of the participants who will be asked to introduce that meeting’s text and open the discussion by offering his or her own thoughts about it and raise questions to start our discussion. The class will be a seminar, based on the constant interaction of all participants.
