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Verschlagwortet: Ukraine

War, Migration, Memory: Perspectives on Russia’s War Against Ukraine – An Introduction

How does war reshape collective memory, migration, and identity? Read a preview of Viktoriya Sereda and Andrii Portnov’s introduction to the recently published anthology “War, Migration, Memory: Perspectives on Russia’s War Against Ukraine” exploring the ongoing impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It delves into questions of belonging, historical memory, and societal transformation through essays written by Ukrainian scholars amid war and displacement.

Ukrainian Migrants’ Digital Connections to Family and Homeland during the War

By Taisiia Ratushna. Social media and digital platforms have considerably facilitated access to information for Ukrainian migrants. They actively use messengers and thematic groups to keep in touch with relatives, receive news, and discuss issues related to migration and integration in a new environment. Constantly monitoring news on social media allows Ukrainian migrants not only to stay informed about events in the country but also to maintain an emotional connection with home. However, constant engagement with Ukrainian news and communities may slow integration into host societies, as it reinforces emotional ties to their homeland.

Why Ukrainians Return: Motivations of Return Migration and its Implications

By Alexander Sicheneder. The decision to return for many Ukrainians is driven by a combination of emotional-political, social, and economic factors. To fully harness the potential of its diaspora for post-war recovery, Ukraine must adopt a holistic approach that addresses the economic and social needs of its returnees while cultivating a shared sense of purpose in the country’s reconstruction efforts. By doing so, Ukraine can turn the tragedy of displacement into an opportunity for renewal and growth.

Living in War: Why Ukrainian Women are Willing to Live in a Country With a Risk to their Lives

By Natalia Zaitseva-Chipak. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European countries have become home to millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to migrate because of the war. Some countries, in particular Germany, have launched unprecedented support and social protection programmes for internally displaced persons, offering housing, social benefits, language courses. Yet, a significant number of Ukrainian women choose to live in Ukraine. Some of them become internally displaced, while others live (and even return from abroad) in the frontline regions, which are constantly hit by missiles and drones.

Fragmented Lives: 10 Pieces of the Ukrainian Displacement Puzzle

By Lidia Kuzemska. We are quickly approaching the third anniversary of forced displacement from Ukraine due to the Russian full-scale invasion – a tragic benchmark no one wanted to believe in, let alone reach. I think it is time to reflect on how the situation related to the displacement of Ukrainians abroad has evolved during this period, and what trends can be expected in the near future. With this introductory post, I invite you to a conversation about the complex and entangled puzzle of Ukrainian displacement. At the heart of it are fragmented lives of 6.7mln Ukrainians currently displaced abroad and 3.7mln inside the country. Their lives are punctuated not only by the fact of displacement per se, but also by the changing policies and attitudes of their host and home countries and societies, by strained cross-border family dynamics and blurred future aspirations.

Soviet Weaponry on a Pedestal: Military Equipment Monuments in the Time of the Russian War in Ukraine – Part 2

By Denys Shatalov and Mykola Homanyuk. The essay examines the role of military equipment monuments in Ukraine, particularly after the Full-Scale Invasion in 2022. Monuments, such as tanks and armored vehicles placed on pedestals, often erected to honor Soviet war efforts or display Soviet power, have been repurposed or impacted by the ongoing conflict. The authors explore how this Soviet tradition of memorialization has been intertwined with modern warfare, using both historical analysis and field observations, focusing on the war’s influence on these symbolic structures.

Soviet Weaponry on a Pedestal: Military Equipment Monuments in the Time of the Russian War in Ukraine – Part 1

By Denys Shatalov and Mykola Homanyuk. The essay examines the role of military equipment monuments in Ukraine, particularly during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Monuments, such as tanks and armored vehicles placed on pedestals, often erected to honor Soviet war efforts or display Soviet power, have been repurposed or impacted by the ongoing conflict. The authors explore how this Soviet tradition of memorialization has been intertwined with modern warfare, using both historical analysis and field observations, focusing on the war’s influence on these symbolic structures.

An Angry Ukrainian Syndrome: Stereotypes About War and Peace, and Injustice

By Olena Komar. In this article, the author aims to demonstrate that a set of prejudices exists in Western countries against Ukrainians, which she terms the “Angry Ukrainian Syndrome” (similar to the “North African Syndrome”). This is a set of biases that have emerged through the way Ukrainians communicate about the war and how they meet the stereotypical expectations of Westerners. Furthermore, these prejudices are colonial, stemming from an inability to see Ukrainians as independent people, distinct from Russians.

Dual-Intent Approach to Ukrainians Abroad: A Post-Script to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024

By Lidia Kuzemska. Berlin was an epicentre of Ukraine-focused events in June 2024. Apart from the massive Ukraine Recovery Conference with over 3400 participants gathered with the intent “to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine for as long as needed” (URC, 2024), numerous pre, side and post-events took place across the city. Smaller publics, targeted discussions and less scripted opinion exchanges were also a chance for Ukrainians abroad to reflect on their role in the recovery of their homeland.

Enduring Through Liminality: Across and Beyond the Borders of Eastern Europe in the Wartime

By Julia Buyskykh. For decades, anthropologists have been studying borders and borderlands, concentrating on marginalised groups (whether minorities, migrants, or refugees), cross-border state relations, border shadow economies, and the multiple identities of populations settling along borders, whose silenced voices often contradict official state narratives of history, identities, and religion. In this article, the author reflects upon her own experience, entangling it with current anthropological scholarship, exploring the tragic semantics of being displaced and misplaced.

War, Displacement and the Shifting Meaning of ‘Donbas’: Initial Findings from the Field

By Qianrui Hu. Although Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shocked the whole world, Russia’s war against Ukraine started already in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the military interventions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Eastern Ukraine. This blog post tries to unpack the dialectical relationship between war, migration, and memory, the central research theme at Prisma Ukraїna, from the perspective of the people who have been experiencing this war since 2014.

In Search of Stability and Purpose: Ukrainian (Displaced) Researchers in Germany

By Lidia Kuzemska. In April 2024, major German foundations organised a networking event for their Ukrainian fellows. Two days of discussions and exchange served not only to give the scholars from different fields space to mingle, but also to brainstorm about how they see their current role and future in academia (be it in Ukraine, in Germany or elsewhere). This text provides an overview of what Ukrainian researchers in Germany currently consider to be the most important challenges and how they perceive their prospects.

Decolonizing Family Metaphors in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War and Beyond

By Illia Ilin. The recent history of Ukraine can be metaphorically described as a journey to break away from the abusive “triune Russian people” family and reconnect with the democratic “European peoples” family. This long process of decolonization has been ongoing for over 30 years and signifies the reclamation of Ukrainian territories, history, and identity by the Ukrainian people. This article will explore the family metaphors of (de)colonization of Russia and unified Europe in relation to Ukraine, and the potential for their expansion and decolonization.

Complicity, Past and Present: Portrayals of Involvement in Mass Violence and Terror in Documentary Fiction

By Juliane Prade-Weiss. One of the puzzling questions about Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and other conflicts is why people participate in, support, or condone mass violence when it appears, for observers, so glaringly wrong. Reasons for becoming complicit with violence against civilians vary with individual positions as well as historical and regional contexts. Participation in, aiding and abetting mass violence and the structures of authoritarian, totalitarian or other regimes exerting it are key issues in the social sciences and in history. Yet, literary texts can contribute to understanding complicity, too.

“Strong Sea – Resistance on the Krym “, 20 April 2024, Berlin

In Germany, little is known about the Krym and the decades-long resistance of the local population against Russian and Soviet rule, including the resistance of indigenous peoples such as the Krym Tartars.
For this reason, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BpB) hosted a multimedia event entitled “Strong Sea – Resistance on the Krym” at the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. A Review by Martin Lochthofen.

„Starkes Meer – Widerstand auf der Krym“, 20 April 2024, Berlin

Über die Krym und den jahrzehntelangen Widerstand der dort wohnenden Bevölkerung gegen die russische und sowjetische Herrschaft, inklusive dem Widerstand der indigenen Völker wie der Krymtartaren, ist hierzulande erstaunlich wenig bekannt.
Aus diesem Grund lud die Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BpB) zu einer multimedialen Veranstaltung mit dem Titel „Starkes Meer – Widerstand auf der Krym“ in die Staatsbibliothek preußischer Kulturbesitz zu Berlin ein. Ein Bericht von Martin Lochthofen.