Lecture

How did the project of Soviet internationalism imagine a future for a “national musical instrument” like the Ukrainian bandura? Drawing on the archive of the Kyiv Palace of Pioneers (KPDU), the mass institution that provided afterschool opportunities for Soviet schoolchildren known as “Pioneers,” alongside interviews with bandura players, this lecture tells the story of the formation of the children’s bandura ensemble in Soviet Ukraine and the violent erasures that enabled its creation.

You are cordially invited to a free lecture, "America's Troubled Foreign Policy," by Professor John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago on Monday, March 11, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Professor Mearsheimer will examine U.S. foreign policy concerning China, Russia, the Ukraine war, the Gaza crisis, and more. The lecture will be followed by a Q & A session.

The history of Poland seems to be one of ancient glory and tolerance, lost uprisings, and an endless struggle for independence. Based on his scholarly work, Brian Porter-Szücs questions this very narrative, discussing new approaches, and how they have changed our idea of Polish history

Many efforts have been made over the past several years to diversify Eastern European and Eurasian studies. This new spotlight surfaces research that has been conducted by many scholars for much longer, highlighting their commitment to telling stories and honoring perspectives of diverse and minority communities. Their work reveals that while there is no unified queer experience in the region, there is often a one-size-fits all state response to the reality of queer lives in many nations within the region.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nargono-Karabakh has been simmering since the collapse of the USSR. Since, Nagorno-Karabkah has stood for the quintessential “frozen conflict” in the region. But Azerbaijan made a decisive move in December 2022—it blocked the Lachin Corridor, the main conduit for supplying the disputed area. Then, last September, Azeri forces moved in and ethnically cleansed the Armenian population, roughly 100,000 people, and dismantled local governance. All while the international community stood idle as the “frozen conflict” was resolved.

Caroline Savage, Director of the Office of Russian Affairs, U.S. Department of State, will hold A Discussion on Russia Today.

Registration is not required for this in-person only event.

The broad rubric of identity is the single most dominant research agenda in academic scholarship, and Eurasian history is no exception. When it comes to questions of ethnic identity, scholars most often focus on groups that can boast some kind of institutional backing - such as a nation-state. Yet, historically, there were many ways that people integrated into collectives - whether or not they were conscious of doing so - that did not lead to a modern nation-state.