The Graduate Organisation for the Study of Europe and Central Asia (GOSECA) at the University of Pittsburgh invites graduate students from various disciplines to participate in our annual conference. This year's theme aims to explore the multifaceted and dynamic nature of the East European and Eurasian region, a crossroads where East meets West. We encourage scholars to unravel the intricate web of cultures, politics, economies, and more that intersect in the region, fostering a deeper understanding of its complexity. We welcome proposals for individual paper presentations that examine the East European region from diverse disciplinary perspectives.

To commemorate the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, REEES is hosting a screening of the Ukrainian film Povadyr (The Guide), directed by Oles Sanin (2014). The film is subtitled in English, discussion to follow.

Early 1930s in Soviet Ukraine: US engineer Michael Shamrock arrives in Kharkiv with his son Peter to build socialism; Michael is mysteriously killed

This blockbuster, released in the same year that Crimea was seized by Russian troops, was watched by Ukrainian audiences throughout the country and was chosen as the 2014 entry to the Academy Awards (Best Foreign Language Film). It is a historical drama in part about the persecution of Ukraine’s blind itinerant musicians; the cast features some of today’s leading Ukrainian musicians and writers, including Ukraine’s foremost contemporary poet and novelist, Serhii Zhadan.