15 October 2024 – Public Lecture “The Tale of the Sunflower and Its Travels in Ukraine.” Place: Forum Theatre (Room 153), Arts West Building, The University of Melbourne. Time: light refreshments: 5:15 p.m.; lecture: 6.15 p.m. AEDT. The event will be also available via Zoom [Note that the link will be provided on the day of the lecture in the reminder email]. To register, please follow this link.
About this event:
The sunflower, a vibrant and essential part of global cuisine, holds a unique place in Ukraine’s cultural and historical landscape. Today, sunflower oil is a staple in local and regional cuisine, and the flower’s bright imagery is deeply woven into the nation’s cultural fabric. Yet, many might be surprised to learn that the sunflower, known as soniashnyk in Ukrainian, is not native to the local forest-steppe and steppe lands. First cultivated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas, sunflowers were introduced to Europe, then to the Russian Empire, and eventually became one of the most common crops in Ukraine. The sunflower has thrived in Eastern Europe, evolving into a cornerstone of Ukraine’s economy as the country has emerged as the world’s leading exporter of sunflower seeds and oil.
While the sunflower is a cherished icon in Ukrainian literature and art and a popular symbol of resilience, its environmental impact has not received the critical attention it deserves, particularly regarding its role in soil degradation and the spread of monoculture farming. This lecture will delve into the complex history of sunflowers within Ukraine’s economic, cultural, and environmental landscapes. By examining this agricultural plant as a source of food, cultural significance, and national wealth, the talk will illuminate the intricate relationship between sunflowers, Ukraine’s history, and its land.
December 6th, 17:00 MST / 19:00 EST – “Матеріальність виживання під час Голодомору: від об’єкта до пам’яті.” Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada, Edmonton Branch. Video.
November 7th, 15:00-17:00 EST (Toronto time) – Virtual Symposium, “Decolonization of ‘eastern’ European Studies: What to Learn from Others?” Organized by the Russian and Eastern European Studies Network and Global History Initiative at the Department of History at Queen’s University. Invited speakers: Oksana Dudko (University of Toronto), Manuel Ferez Gil (Alberto Hurtado University in Santiago), Diana T. Kudaibergenova (University of Cambridge), Swen Steinberg (Queen’s University), Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (University of Pennsylvania). Video.
April 27, 2023 – Series of Online Lectures organized and moderated at the State Biotechnological University (Kharkiv, Ukraine) “Ставлячи Україну в центрі | Centering on Ukraine.” 2nd Lecture. Invited speaker – Tanya Richardson (Wilfrid Laurier University) “(Не)присутність кордонів в бджільництві України, Молдови, та Румунії: співпраця та конфлікт у захищенні території карпатських медоносних бджіл.”
April 7, 2023 – Series of Online Lectures organized and moderated at the State Biotechnological University (Kharkiv, Ukraine) “Ставлячи Україну в центрі | Centering on Ukraine.” 1st Lecture. Darya Tsymbalyuk, Visiting Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. “Knowledge in a shattered world: local epistemologies in Ukraine | Знання у розтрощеному світі : місцеві епістемології в Україні.”
March 24, 2023 – Colloquium “Ukrainian Studies Now: Searching for New Optics in Times of Survival.” Russian and Eastern European Network, Department of History, Queen’s University (Online). Invited speakers: Maria Mayerchyk, Tanya Richardson, and Andriy Zayarnyuk.
Iryna Skubii 