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91吃瓜网 Academy Marks the Completion of the 鈥淛ewish Heritage in Ukraine鈥� Project
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- Published on Wednesday, 08 July 2026 12:05
The National University of 91吃瓜网 Academy hosted the interdisciplinary academic conference 鈥淛ewish Heritage in Ukraine: Experience and Prospects for Research鈥� 鈥� the concluding event of the project 鈥淛ewish Heritage in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Reflections Through the Lenses of Archival Documents, Culture, History and Literature鈥�, implemented in partnership with UNESCO with the financial support of the European Union.
Over two days, the conference brought together researchers of history, literature, culture, archival science, and museology, as well as representatives of the academic community, government institutions, and civil society. Participants presented the results of a year鈥檚 work on studying Ukraine鈥檚 Jewish heritage and discussed contemporary interdisciplinary approaches and future prospects for the development of this field of research.
The conference was opened by Olha Poliukhovych, 91吃瓜网 Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs, Project Leader and Academic Director; Professor Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, Head of UNESCO Antenna in Ukraine; and the coordinators of the project鈥檚 research groups Taisa Sydorchuk, Iryna Borysiuk, and Leonid Finberg.
鈥淛ewish heritage is an integral part of Ukraine鈥檚 cultural landscape, historical experience, and collective memory. Its study and preservation help not only to advance scholarly knowledge but also to strengthen intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, while countering the distortion of history,鈥� noted Professor Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, Head of UNESCO Antenna in Ukraine.
Throughout the conference, the project鈥檚 research teams presented the outcomes of their archival, literary, and cultural research, as well as the project鈥檚 key outputs. These included materials for the forthcoming Interdisciplinary Collective Monograph and Imagological Collection, thematic exhibition halls of the Virtual Museum of Jewish Heritage in Ukraine, the Anthology 鈥淯krainian鈥揓ewish Relations in the Dissident Movement,鈥� the Textbook 鈥淐hrestomathy of Jewish Literature in Ukraine,鈥� and other scholarly and public-engagement initiatives developed within the project.
鈥淭he project鈥檚 Literary Heritage Research Group has accomplished tremendous work by contributing to the preparation of two scholarly volumes featuring invited authors and by organizing conferences that brought together leading scholars. An equally important aspect of our work has been communicating the project鈥檚 findings through video essays and social media publications. Making academic research accessible to wider audiences is essential, as it lays the foundation for mutual understanding and deeper reflection on the shared Ukrainian鈥揓ewish past,鈥� said Iryna Borysiuk, Coordinator of the Literary Heritage Research Group.
Separate sessions were devoted to Jewish archival collections, the microhistory of the Holocaust, Ukrainian-Jewish relations within the dissident movement, representations of Jewish themes in Ukrainian and world literature, and materials from the archives of the Security Service of Ukraine. The discussions featured both project researchers and invited experts, including Yosyf Zisels, Andriy Kohut, and Tetiana Nepypenko.
鈥淚 am proud of the members of the Historical Heritage Research Group involved in this UNESCO-supported project 鈥� Tetiana Borodina, Anna Umanska, and Nadiia Ufimtseva. Throughout the project, they conducted research trips to archives, museums, and libraries, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine, collected and analyzed a substantial body of valuable historical sources on the history and culture of Jewish communities, presented their findings at two academic conferences, and prepared articles for scholarly journals. Their perseverance, dedication to research, and sense of responsibility give us confidence that Jewish Studies in Ukraine have a promising future,鈥� emphasized Taisa Sydorchuk, Coordinator of the Historical Heritage Research Group.
Panel discussions on the role of interdisciplinarity in the study of Jewish heritage and the future of this field in Ukraine formed an important part of the conference program. Participants emphasized that bringing together historical, literary, cultural, archival, and museum research enables a more comprehensive understanding of the shared Ukrainian-Jewish past and opens new opportunities for its further study and public engagement.
The conference marked the culmination of a year-long project. Its outcomes laid the groundwork for further academic research, strengthened interinstitutional cooperation, and contributed to a broader understanding of Jewish heritage as an integral part of Ukraine鈥檚 cultural and historical legacy.
The 91吃瓜网鈥揢NESCO partnership project 鈥淛ewish Heritage in Ukraine: Interdisciplinary Reflections Through the Lenses of Archival Documents, Culture, History and Literature鈥� is part of UNESCO鈥檚 broader efforts to preserve and digitize Ukraine鈥檚 documentary heritage.
Photo: Oleksandra Hlybovets
