Report on the public lecture about Ukraine on the topic “Gaining Historical Agency:
Ukrainian Society from Euromaidan to the Full-scale Russian Invasion”
given by Dr. Natalia Otrishchenko at WBZ
The fifth and final lecture of the series of public lectures within the project “Ukraine Between History and Modernity” (funded by DAAD) took place on December 12, 2024. Unlike the previous speakers, Dr. Nataliia Otrishchenko, a researcher from the Center for Urban History of East Central Europe in Lviv (Ukraine), delivered her lecture online. However, this did not hinder a lively discussion—many attendees came to WBZ to listen to the lecture and showed active participation. Like the previous lectures, this one was also streamed via Zoom, allowing the online audience to engage in the discussion, which was skillfully moderated by Professor Sören Brinkmann.
During the lecture “Gaining Historical Agency: Ukrainian Society from Euromaidan to the Full-scale Russian Invasion,” Dr. Otrishchenko addressed the topic of involvement in history and how it was reflected during the moments of rupture. She started her talk with an overview of the main protest actions and geopolitical changes that defined Ukraine during the last 30 years. After Ukraine's gaining independence and subsequent experiences of protests in the 2000s, the lecture dwelled in more detail on the experience of the Euromaidan, when, for many people, abstract ideas and values acquired a concrete embodiment. Dr. Natalia Otrishchenko spoke about the sense of urgency, revision of the structures of dependency, ideas of justice, and personal responsibility that motivate people to act during events that have long-lasting effects on society. She highlighted how people perceived time and the role of collective actions related to the past, present, and future. Her talk was based on several research projects, including “Voices of Resistance and Hope” (2013-14), “Historical Cultures in Transition” (2018-19), and “24/02/22, 5 am: Testimonies from the war” (2022) where she was involved either as a co-coordinator of the fieldwork or as principal investigator. Dr. Otrishchenko’s main source base consisted of interviews recorded during the protest events, so she also defined the specifics of designing research projects related to straightforward safety and security challenges.
After the lecture, there were many thought-provoking questions and reflections from the audience – both in the room and from zoom. For instance, Prof. Dr. Tetyana Panchenko asked how many interviews were conducted in 2013-2014 and if there was a plan to continue the research with the same interviewees after the Maidan. Dr. Otrishchenko mentioned that there were two waves of interviewing, in December 2013 and February 2014, and the team collected more than 140 interviews in Lviv, Kyiv, and Kharkiv. However, the participants did not provide their contact details due to the emergency nature of the project and security reasons. This collection is not available like other oral history projects from the Center for Urban History with recordings and transcripts. Still, thematically organized quotes could be accessed after the registration: https://uma.lvivcenter.org/en/collections/146/interviews.
Dr. Julia Kobzar (Coordination Center of the German Studies Center (ZDS) at Peking University, FU Berlin) asked the speaker to share her thoughts on different realities being experienced in Ukraine and abroad after the full-scale Russian invasion: “Given that many people have recently moved abroad or have been living there for a long time, we are all experiencing very different realities and undergoing diverse transformations. In light of this, can we still speak about a monolithic society in Ukraine today? This topic is deeply personal and worrying for me because I often hear the claim that I am ‘not Ukrainian enough’ having moved abroad, as am not directly experiencing the realities of war.” Dr. Otrishchenko answered that Ukraine is a diasporic nation, and there is a need to establish connections between groups with various experiences. This requires a lot of sensitivity and carefulness because of the multiple losses that people experienced as a result of the Russian war against Ukraine.
Prof. Sören Brinkmann asked if the Euromaidan was also a dividing event. Dr. Otrishchenko replied that the experience of mobilization itself – either supporting or opposing the revolutions (the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan) – was important. Also, she mentioned the diversity of values that motivated people to join the protests and a common denominator that can unite people with different opinions – a desire to live a decent life.
Prof. Oksana Danylenko inquired about the book, “Conversations with Those Who Ask about the War”, that Dr. Otrishchenko edited in 2024. The speaker outlined the book’s main idea and provided a link to open source publication in Ukrainian: https://www.lvivcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/War-Conversations.pdf. As a final remark, Dr. Otrishchenko highlighted the need to continue supporting Ukraine with day-to-day actions and developing a vision of the future that respects the Ukrainian agency.
Below are some of the reviews on this lecture and the discussion.
Prof. Dr. Peter Schiffauer, Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Law at Fernuniversität in Hagen, Deputy Director of the Dimitris Tsatsos Institute for European Constitutional Studies), who took part in almost all the lectures of the series, commented: “Attending the series of public lectures “Ukraine Between History and Modernity: War Challenges, Historical Narratives, and a Conflict of Interpretations was a valuable experience for me. In the light of the accession negotiations between the EU and Ukraine which have been taking place since June 25, 2024, the series of events organised by Prof. Danylenko is particularly meritorious as it helps a broader academic audience to better understand Ukraine and its society. This is in particular true regarding the last lecture by Prof. Otrishchenko. Based on individual statements in the period between 2014 and 2024, the lecture depicts a development of the society in Ukraine, the self-image of which seems to be more European than nationalist”.
Prof. T. Panchenko shared her thoughts on the event at the Willy Brandt Center for German and European Studies: “Dr. Otrishchenko's lecture ‘Gaining Historical Agency: Ukrainian Society from Euromaidan to the Full-scale Russian Invasion’ was a bright and interesting event for both students and experienced researchers. The 30-year history of Ukrainian statehood was presented through the testimonies of people who were involved in its creation to varying degrees. The three quantitative projects presented by Dr. Otrishchenko, which were triggered by different historical events or research questions, were connected through the perception of collective actions related to the past, present and future. This inspires new research ideas and expands the research possibilities of qualitative sociology.”
During the series of lectures, one of the important project goals was achieved - the creation of a space for open dialogue and discussions on Ukrainian topics with the participation of representatives from different countries. This was fully realized during the last lecture as well.
The Report was prepared by the scientific coordinator of the project Prof. Oksana Danylenko in co-authorship with Dr. Nataliia Otrishchenko
