On the Institute’s website (in the “Our Publications” section), is available the electronic version of the monograph “The Information and Communication Environment of Ukraine in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War: Strategies and Practices for Countering Destructive Influences”.
The monograph highlights the participation of the state and civil society in countering destructive information influences in the context of the current Russian-Ukrainian war. It has been determined that countering destructive information influences can be achieved not only by forming and spreading counter-discourse, but also through the implementation of other measures, in particular political and/or economic reforms, compliance with legislation on the State Language, which is an important method for shaping and preserving the State`s information space, as well as successful and timely actions by the special services. It has been argued that countering hostile destructive information influences should be based on an effective legal framework that meets contemporary requirements and contains norms designed to protect the information and communication environment, as defined within the relevant doctrine.
In early July 2026 in Odesa (July 1-2) and Kyiv (July 6-7), the Ukrainian Center for the Study of the History of the Holocaust in cooperation with the Shoah Memorial (Paris) is holding two two-day scientific and methodological seminars for teachers “History of Genocides in Ukraine: Study of Experience and Challenges of the Present”.
During these days, teachers led discussions on the history of genocides, the culture of memory, teaching complex topics and modern challenges for education. Thus, special attention was paid to the challenges in teaching the difficult past by Ukrainian educators during the Russian aggression and the war against Ukraine.
With a lecture on the topic “Memory of the Holocaust and other genocides today. Historical parallels, the relevance of commemoration, the change in the perception of the Holocaust as a result of the Russian war and full-scale invasion” was delivered at the seminars by Anatoliy Podolsky, a leading researcher at the Department of Ethnopolitical Science of our Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences.
During the lecture of Anatolii Podolskyi
About 60 teachers, teachers of schools and universities from 16 regions of Ukraine took part in the two seminars in Odessa and Kyiv. During the work, an exchange of new methods of teaching World War II, the history of the Holocaust and other genocides took place between Ukrainian and French specialists representing the Shoah Memorial, the Graduate School of History of Social and Political Sciences, and Sorbonne University.
The seminar was organized by the Mémorial de la Shoah (Paris) and the Ukrainian Center for the Study of the History of the Holocaust with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The seminar partner in Odessa is the Genocide Museum “Territory of Memory”, in Kyiv – the Novopechersk School
Participants of the seminar in Kyiv
Participants of the seminar in Odesa
On 2–3 July 2026, the Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University hosted the international scientific conference “European Integration and Ukraine: Historical Memory and Migration Challenges.”
The conference brought together scholars, university lecturers, doctoral students, journalists, and representatives of civil society organizations. Participants discussed a wide range of issues, including: Ukraine’s path towards EU membership through the prism of historical memory, security, and identity; European integration during wartime in its political, cultural, and value dimensions; the Russian-Ukrainian war and European debates on historical memory; new memorial practices of Ukrainians; Ukrainian and European oral history research during the Russian-Ukrainian war; memory policies in EU member states; the Holocaust as a foundational framework of memory; mnemonic security as a component of Ukraine’s European integration; historical memory as an instrument of foreign policy; Ukrainian migrants in Europe during the Russian-Ukrainian war and the transformation of diaspora communities; migration as a factor of economic and cultural change; the role of cultural diplomacy in shaping Ukraine’s image abroad; and the media space of war, with particular attention to visual narratives of Ukraine in the European Union.
Three researchers from our Institute participated in the conference: Professor Yurii Shapoval, Doctor of Historical Sciences; Professor Oleh Kalakura, Doctor of Political Sciences; and Associate Professor Yurii Polishchuk, Doctor of Historical Sciences.
Professor Yurii Shapoval chaired and delivered a presentation at the panel “The Legacy of Jerzy Giedroyc and Contemporary Europe.” The panel was organized to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Jerzy Giedroyc, the distinguished Polish publicist, political thinker, and public figure, founder and editor-in-chief of the renowned Polish-language journal Kultura. The anniversary will be marked on 27 July 2026.
Participants of the conference.
On the Institute’s website (in the “Our Publications” section), is available the electronic version of the monograph “The Russian War Against Ukraine Through the Eyes of Western and Ukrainian Epistemic Communities: Value and Ideological Aspects”.
This monograph examines how Western and Ukrainian epistemic communities have interpreted the Russian-Ukrainian war in publications issued since 2014 and following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The study covers the principal scholarly and expert approaches to explaining the causes and nature of the conflict, as well as its ideological and informational dimensions. Particular attention is paid to the epistemological limitations and political factors affecting the analysis of the conflict. The monograph analyses interpretations of the war within Western academic discourse, focusing in particular on the realist and liberal schools of international relations. It critically examines political biases manifested in “orientalism towards Russia,” the underestimation of Ukrainian agency, and the persistence of inertial assumptions about the “stability” of the international order. The authors also summarise the contributions of Ukrainian researchers, whose work focuses on Russian information aggression, transformations of identity, value change, and societal resilience, treating information warfare as one of the central instruments of influence on Ukrainian society.
On the Institute’s website (in the “Our Publications” section), is available the electronic version of the monograph “The Russian-Ukrainian War in the Mirror of Problematic lacunas: the Ideological Aspect”.
The monograph explores the problematic lacunas of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the prism of ideology. It systematises the cause-and-effect relationships of the problematic lacunas of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It highlights the substantive and criteria-based scaling of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The methodological significance of the phenomenology of wars for the objective handling of the problematic lacunas of the Russian-Ukrainian war is clarified. The influence of the context of the world order crisis on the specifics of the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war is outlined. The significance of the principle of realism as a criterion for victory in war is revealed.
The significance of the idea of the European choice as an ideological tool for Ukraine’s confrontation with Russia is generalised. The specifics of information warfare as an essential component of classical warfare are analysed. The policy of ending the war is understood as an important area of interdisciplinary knowledge. The significance of a discursive environment, organised on the principles of deliberative democracy, for generating effective strategies and tactics for Ukraine’s confrontation with Russia is conceptualised.
On 24 June 2026, the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” took place in Gdańsk, Poland, within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026). The event focused on the role of human capital and women’s leadership in Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
The event was attended by Dr. Anastasiia Dehterenko, Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Ethnopolitics of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, who also represented the NGO Academy of Resilient Development of Ukraine.
The side event brought together representatives of academia, public authorities, international organizations, civil society, and the expert community to discuss one of the key challenges facing post-war Ukraine—the preservation and development of human capital as the foundation for the country’s sustainable recovery.
Group photo of the participants of the international side event Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, Gdańsk, Poland.
Participation in the event was made possible through the support of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund under the programme “Women’s Voice and Leadership – Ukraine: New Strength”, implemented with the financial support of the Government of Canada. This support enabled the presentation of Ukrainian academic expertise at one of the leading international platforms where contemporary approaches to Ukraine’s post-war recovery are being discussed and developed.
One of the central conclusions of the discussions was the recognition that Ukraine’s future depends first and foremost on its people, while human capital represents the country’s most valuable resource for sustainable recovery. Consequently, women’s leadership, professional empowerment, support for Ukrainian women abroad, and their contribution to Ukraine’s reconstruction have emerged as issues of strategic importance.
Particular attention was devoted to ensuring the meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes. Effective post-war recovery cannot be achieved without women’s representation in leadership positions and in the institutions where public policies are formulated, strategic priorities are defined, and decisions about Ukraine’s future are made. Inclusive leadership is therefore one of the key prerequisites for the country’s sustainable, democratic, and people-centred recovery.
Participants of the international side event Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension, dedicated to the role of human capital and women’s leadership in Ukraine’s post-war recovery. Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, Gdańsk.
During the event, two major analytical studies were presented. The first demonstrated that 67% of Ukrainian women who have been forcibly displaced to European Union countries since 2022 are already actively contributing to Ukraine’s recovery through professional engagement, economic activity, international advocacy, and volunteer initiatives. The second examined the economic potential of women’s labour market participation, concluding that greater integration of economically inactive women into the workforce could become one of the key drivers of Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Particular attention was devoted to presentations by Kateryna Levchenko, Ella Libanova, Nataliia Karbovska, Melinda Simmons, Mirosława Keryk, Sylvie Bratten, and other distinguished international experts. The speakers emphasized that human capital should be viewed not merely as an economic asset but, above all, as the cornerstone of social resilience, democratic governance, and post-war transformation.
Anastasiia Dehterenko (second from the left) together with participants of the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” during the discussion on strengthening partnerships with women’s organizations. Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.
Participation in the event provided an opportunity to present the Institute’s research expertise in ethnopolitical resilience, human capital, migration, and social cohesion while engaging with emerging international analytical approaches to post-war recovery policies. The analytical findings and professional discussions will contribute to the further development of the Institute’s research on ethnopolitics, public governance, societal resilience, and Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
The participation of the Institute’s researchers in international expert discussions strengthens international academic cooperation, facilitates the integration of Ukrainian scholarship into the European Research Area, and enhances the international visibility of Ukrainian research. Such international platforms create valuable opportunities for building long-term partnerships, exchanging expertise, and jointly developing evidence-informed approaches to support Ukraine’s sustainable recovery and long-term development.
Anastasiia Dehterenko with Anka Feldhusen, Business Ombudsman of Ukraine, during the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026), Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.
Anastasiia Dehterenko with Olesia Bondar, Director of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, during the international side event “Human Resource in Recovery: Her Dimension” held within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC-2026), Gdańsk, Poland, 24 June 2026.
The collective English-language monograph The Political System of Post-Soviet Ukraine: Constitutional Ramifications, Key Institutions, and Political Practices of the Independent Ukrainian State, 1991–2023 has been published in the prestigious international book series Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society (Vol. 299) by the German academic publisher ibidem-Verlag.
The volume was edited by Galyna Zelenko, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, and Deputy Director for Research at the I. F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
The monograph offers a comprehensive analysis of Ukraine’s political system, its constitutional foundations, institutional architecture, and political practices during the period from 1991 to 2023. Particular attention is devoted to the interaction between formal and informal institutions, the peculiarities of Ukraine’s semi-presidential model, and the functioning of parliament, government, judiciary, political parties, and electoral institutions. A separate chapter examines the challenges of state resilience under conditions of war and discusses prospects for post-war reconstruction.
The authors of the volume are scholars of the I. F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: Rostyslav Balaban, Tetiana Bevz, Svitlana Brekharia, Nataliia Kononenko, Tetiana Liashenko, Oleksandr Maiboroda, Vitalii Perevezii, Oleh Rafalskiy, and Svitlana Sytnyk.
The foreword was written by Oleh Rafalskiy, Director of the I. F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Among the topics covered in the monograph are Ukraine’s form of government, parliament and parliamentarism, the party system, the role of civil society, financial-industrial groups, the judiciary, as well as constitutionalism and the institutional capacity of the state. The volume concludes with an authorial afterword by Galyna Zelenko, devoted to institutional resilience and the political trajectories of Ukraine’s future development.
The publication of this volume will contribute to the broader international visibility of research conducted by Ukrainian scholars and will further promote Ukraine-focused political science scholarship within the global academic community.
Contents by link.
On June 20–21, Aspen Institute Kyiv held its annual event, “Ideas Days,” in Chernivtsi, dedicated to the issues of social cohesion, trust, and the value of diversity in contemporary Ukraine.
This year, the event brought together more than 150 participants, including representatives of state authorities, local governments, businesses, educational institutions, civil society organizations, the military, and community leaders. The discussions focused on strengthening social unity during wartime and shaping the country’s post-war recovery.
One of the key events of the program was the panel discussion, “Social Cohesion in Post-War Ukraine: How It Depends on Us.” The panel featured Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Father Hryhorii Kovalenko; Nataliia Yemchenko, Director of Public Relations and Communications at SCM; Taras Kytsmei, President of the SoftServe Group; and Galyna Zelenko, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Deputy Director for Research, and Head of the Department of Political Institutions and Processes at the I. F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
The discussion was moderated by serviceman and television host Vadym Karpiak.
During the conversation, participants focused on the factors that shape public trust, the role of civic responsibility in strengthening democratic institutions, and the challenges of preserving unity amid diverse experiences, perspectives, and social groups.
Galyna Zelenko emphasized the importance of public trust as a foundation for state resilience and democratic development. Her remarks highlighted the functioning of political institutions, citizen participation in public life, and the need to develop an inclusive model of post-war recovery based on dialogue and shared responsibility.
The event took place in Chernivtsi, a city that has historically exemplified the coexistence of different cultures, traditions, and identities. The Bukovinian experience served as a starting point for discussing how to build a strong and cohesive society capable of transforming diversity into a source of development.
Once again, “Ideas Days” provided a platform for open dialogue among representatives of different sectors and generations around a key question: how to preserve and strengthen Ukraine’s social unity in a time of major challenges and future transformations.
On June 11, 2026, the University of Warsaw hosted the twelfth and final scientific seminar within the framework of the international research project “State Structure in Action: The Impact of Political System Types on the Quality of State Institutions’ Functioning. Polish and Ukrainian Experience and Perspectives.” For a year and a half, this project brought together Ukrainian and Polish scholars around current issues concerning the development of democratic institutions and public governance in our countries.
The seminar’s work was attended by researchers from the Department of Political Institutes and Processes: Candidates of Political Science Nataliia Kononenko and Rostyslav Balaban, and Doctor of Political Science Tetiana Liashenko.
The theme of the final meeting was dedicated to local self-government and decentralization reforms in Ukraine and Poland. Rostyslav Balaban delivered a report titled “Decentralization Reform in Ukraine.” The scholar noted that the decentralization reform is one of the most successful in Ukraine, having strengthened the agency of communities and the territorial consolidation of the state. The reform, launched in 2014–2015, led to the creation of 1,469 capable territorial communities instead of more than 11 thousand, the consolidation of districts (raions), and a significant increase in local budgets due to retaining a portion of taxes locally. At the same time, the reform requires further legislative formalization, constitutional consolidation, and the development of local democracy for successful post-war reconstruction and European integration.
On the Polish side, Professor Jarosław Flis spoke on the topic “The Significance of Local Self-Government for Political Life in Poland: Advantages and Disadvantages.” The author noted that local self-government plays a key role in Poland’s political life due to its three-tier administrative division (gminas, powiats, voivodeships) and the significant autonomy of communities. The author emphasized the stability of the system, its historical roots, and advantages such as the flexibility of division and the importance of gminas as the foundation of self-government. Meanwhile, the author pointed out certain shortcomings, particularly tension between levels of government, clientelism in resource distribution, political favoritism, and dependence on EU funds.
The discussion was joined by Ukrainian and Polish participants of the project: Professor Agnieszka Dudzińska, Professor Antoni Kamiński, Deputy Director for Research Professor Halyna Zelenko (online), as well as staff members of the Department of Political Institutes and Processes, Candidate of Political Science Nataliia Kononenko, and Doctor of Political Science Tetiana Liashenko.
The final seminar served not only as a platform for professional discussion but also as an opportunity to summarize the fruitful cooperation within the project. Over the course of twelve scientific seminars, the participants examined a wide range of issues related to state structure, political institutions, governance mechanisms, and democratic transformations in Ukraine and Poland.
The implementation of the project contributed to strengthening the Ukrainian-Polish scientific dialogue, exchanging experience between researchers, developing international academic ties, and elaborating new approaches to the analysis of contemporary political processes. The seminar participants expressed confidence that the results achieved within the project will become the foundation for further joint research and new international initiatives.
Nataliia Kononenko, a Leading Researcher at the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, participated in the International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference “Quo vadis, Europa in temporibus arduis?”, which took place on June 10, 2026, at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Lublin, Republic of Poland). The conference was dedicated to an interdisciplinary reflection on the current challenges facing Europe in the context of worsening political, economic, and social crises, as well as the transformation of the security environment. The discussions focused on issues of European security, the development of the European Union, integration processes, the transformation of the international order, and Ukraine’s role in the contemporary European security architecture.
Within the framework of the conference, Nataliia Kononenko presented a report titled “Securitization of the Process of Ukraine’s European Integration,” which examined the peculiarities of rethinking Ukraine’s European integration under the conditions of a full-scale war and the strengthening of the security dimension of the European integration agenda. The event was organized by the European Center of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University as part of the “Together for Europe” project – a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program.
We have great news for the staff of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and all the authors of the journal “Political Studies”.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has published an updated List of academic professional publications of Ukraine, Category “B”, which includes 1298 scientific journals. The list was formed according to new criteria that take into account the quality and transparency of editorial policy, the level of peer review, adherence to the principles of academic integrity, open access policy, the quality of metadata, and compliance with modern standards of scientific communication.
Based on the results of the evaluation, the scientific journal “Political Studies”, founded by the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, took 1st place among all Ukrainian professional publications in political sciences and 11th place in the cluster “Human Capital Development, Social Sciences and Journalism” among 259 scientific journals of Ukraine.
It is particularly important that the journal’s high result was achieved under the conditions of implementing updated requirements for scientific publications. Among the key evaluation criteria were the quality of peer review, the reliability of scientific data, the compliance of the publication’s subject matter with the declared specialties, the openness of editorial procedures, adherence to the principles of academic integrity, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools.
You can find the updated List of academic professional publications of Ukraine, Category “B”, at the following link:
Перелік наукових фахових видань України категорії «Б»
On 4 June, at a meeting of the Academic Council, a presentation was delivered by the Leading Research Fellow of the Department of Political Institutions and Processes, Doctor of Political Sciences Tetyana Lyashenko, titled “Civil and Social Dialogue as a Factor in Ukraine’s European Integration”.
The relevance of the topic is determined by the need for Ukraine to fulfil the requirements of the negotiation process for accession to the European Union, in particular regarding the institutionalisation of effective social partnership and structured civil dialogue, which are key prerequisites for successful European integration.
The presentation revealed the conceptual differences between civil and social dialogue, their place in the European model of governance, and their role in forming democratic mechanisms for citizens’ participation in the development of state policy.
M. Lyashenko presented a comparative analysis of key indicators of civil society development and institutional capacity in Ukraine and the European Union. She also characterised the main challenges in the areas of the rule of law, corruption control, regulatory quality, and the independence of the judiciary. Particular attention was paid to the activities of the National Tripartite Socio-Economic Council, the development of digital tools for citizen participation, the functioning of public councils and mechanisms for public consultations, as well as an assessment of their compliance with European standards of social partnership.
During the speech, issues of public trust in the main participants of social dialogue — the state, trade unions, employers, and civil society — were examined. It was emphasised that trust is an important institutional resource on which the effectiveness of social partnership and the implementation of European principles of governance largely depend.
In conclusion, the speaker noted that civil society has become one of the key factors in Ukraine’s resilience in wartime conditions and an important partner of the state in the process of implementing European integration reforms. At the same time, Ukraine’s further progress towards EU membership requires strengthening the institutional capacity of the state, developing a culture of social partnership, and ensuring the real influence of civil and social dialogue on the formation of state policy.
On May 27-28, 2026, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, funded by the Memory, Responsibility and Future Foundation (Berlin, Germany), held a two-day international conference “Museum Practices and Transformations in the Coverage of World War II”.
The event brought together scholars and museum professionals, representatives of 43 leading institutions from 15 countries around the world, including world-renowned institutions as the Imperial War Museum (London, Great Britain), the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Auschwitz, Poland), the Terezin Memorial (Terezin, Czech Republic), the University of Miami (Oxford, Ohio, USA), the University of Victoria (Canada), and the network of European museum organizations NEMO (Berlin).
During the panel on commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust
The panel, which discussed the issues of preserving the memory of the Holocaust in the face of modern threats and challenges, was moderated by Anatolii Podolskyi, a leading researcher in the Department of Ethnopolitical Science of our Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences. The introductory presentation on the activities of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar” was presented by the Director General of the Reserve, Roza Tapanova. The panel participants discussed the issues of memorialization, the responsibility of museums and international cooperation in combating the distortion of history. The discussion was attended by the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Piotr M.A. Tsywinski, the Director of the Terezin Memorial Jan Rubinek, the Senior Historian of the POLIN Museum Krzysztof Persak and the Coordinator of the Historikerlabor e.V. Aike Stegen.
Speaking Anatoliy Podolsky
The conference became a platform for professional discussion and exchange of experience between museums, memorials and scientific institutions in Europe and the world. The focus of the discussion is the reinterpretation of World War II, particularly in post-communist countries, the memorialization of armed conflicts of the modern era, the preservation of historical memory in times of global instability, when anti-democratic forces seek to turn history into an ideological weapon. Special attention was paid at the conference to the experience of Ukraine, which, in the conditions of large-scale Russian aggression, is forming its own culture of memory and implementing unique practices of museification of war in real time.
Jan Rubinek, Piotr Tsywinski, Anatoliy Podolsky, Roza Tapanova, Krzysztof Persak
On May 27-28, 2026, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, funded by the Memory, Responsibility and Future Foundation (Berlin, Germany), held a two-day international conference “Museum Practices and Transformations in the Coverage of World War II”.
The event brought together scholars and museum professionals, representatives of 43 leading institutions from 15 countries around the world, including such world-renowned institutions as the Imperial War Museum (London, Great Britain), the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Auschwitz, Poland), the Terezin Memorial (Terezin, Czech Republic), the University of Miami (Oxford, Ohio, USA), the University of Victoria (Canada), and the network of European museum organizations NEMO (Berlin, Germany).
During the panel on commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust
The panel, which discussed the issues of preserving the memory of the Holocaust in the face of modern threats and challenges, was moderated by Anatolii Podolskyi, a leading researcher in the Department of Ethnopolitical Science of our Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences. The introductory presentation on the activities of the National Historical and Memorial Reserve “Babyn Yar” was presented by the Director General of the Reserve, Roza Tapanova. The panel participants discussed the issues of memorialization, the responsibility of museums and international cooperation in combating the distortion of history. The discussion was attended by the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Piotr M.A. Tsywinski, the Director of the Terezin Memorial Jan Rubinek, the Senior Historian of the POLIN Museum Krzysztof Persak and the Coordinator of the Historikerlabor e.V. Aike Stegen.
Speaking Anatoliy Podolsky
The conference became a platform for professional discussion and exchange of experience between museums, memorials and scientific institutions in Europe and the world. The focus of the discussion is the reinterpretation of World War II, particularly in post-communist countries, the memorialization of armed conflicts of the modern era, the preservation of historical memory in times of global instability, when anti-democratic forces seek to turn history into an ideological weapon. Special attention was paid at the conference to the experience of Ukraine, which, in the conditions of large-scale Russian aggression, is forming its own culture of memory and implementing unique practices of museification of war in real time.
Jan Rubinek, Piotr Tsywinski, Anatoliy Podolsky, Roza Tapanova, Krzysztof Persak
May 27–30, 2026, Columbia University (New York, USA) hosted the 30th Anniversary World Convention of the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) – one of the largest international multidisciplinary scholarly forums dedicated to the issues of nationalism, ethnicity, political conflicts, and identities, where leading scientists traditionally present their research findings.
This year, a large block of the program was dedicated to Ukrainian studies. Galyna Zelenko, Deputy Director for Research at the Institute, Professor, and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine, took part in the ASN Convention. Within the thematic section focused on modern political transformations in Ukraine, the researcher presented a report titled “The Transformation of Ukraine’s System of Checks and Balances under the Impact of the War: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.”
In the report Galyna Zelenko analyzed the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the functioning of the system of checks and balances of power in Ukraine. Based on quantitative (statistics regarding the implementation of the right to legislative initiative, the right of presidential veto) and qualitative analysis (spheres of competence of central government bodies), it was shown that the full-scale war indeed became an important factor in transforming the mechanisms of interaction between branches of power. At the same time, the prerequisites for strengthening the positions of the institution of the presidency were formed much earlier and are a consequence of the current constitutional model of state power organization, as well as the impact of the political results of the 2019 parliamentary elections, which resulted in a single-party pro-presidential majority in the Verkhovna Rada. It was the combination of institutional features of the constitutional system and political circumstances that created the conditions for the concentration of power resources even before the start of the full-scale aggression.
Avoiding value judgments, the researcher emphasized that the current configuration of power relations is an objective reality of wartime. Although such a model does not favor the full development of democratic processes and mechanisms of mutual control between branches of power, in conditions of war it largely acts as a necessary tool for ensuring effective state governance and national security.
Separately, the presentation raised the issue of perspectives for the development of the political system after the end of hostilities. According to Halyna Zelenko, there are reasons to assume the possibility of the so-called “wormhole effect” – the gradual habituation of society to the concentration of power and a decrease in demands for democratic procedures. At the same time, large-scale civic mobilization, the development of the volunteer movement, and an unprecedented level of public self-organization during the war significantly reduce the likelihood of such a scenario and create prerequisites for restoring full-fledged democratic mechanisms in the post-war period.
Participation in the ASN World Convention became an important opportunity to present the research results of Ukrainian scientists to the international academic community and to discuss current transformations of the political system of Ukraine in conditions of war.
Anastasiia Dehterenko, PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor, and Research Fellow at the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, participated in the international Conference of the Standing Group on Central and East European Politics (CEESP), ECPR 2026, held on 21–22 May 2026 at Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania).
The conference was organized by the Standing Group on Central and East European Politics of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) and brought together scholars from across Europe working in the fields of political science, democracy studies, international relations, security studies, and political transformations in Central and Eastern Europe.
As part of the panel “Dynamics between Russia and Ukraine”, Anastasiia Dehterenko presented her paper: “From Resilience to Antifragility: Ethnopolitical Governance in Wartime Ukraine”.
The paper examines the transformation of Ukrainian society and the system of ethnopolitical governance under conditions of full-scale war. Particular attention was devoted to the concept of antifragility, which allows Ukraine to be understood not only as a state enduring crisis, but also as a system capable of adapting, transforming, and strengthening its institutional and societal resilience under conditions of extreme pressure.
The presentation addressed:
- transformations in local governance during wartime;
- the role of territorial communities in ensuring resilience;
- the influence of ethnic and cultural diversity on adaptive governance mechanisms;
- emerging forms of solidarity and institutional practices under crisis conditions;
- prospects for rethinking the concept of resilience in contemporary political science.
Special attention was devoted to the case of Northern Pryazovya in Ukraine and to the experience of Ukrainian communities operating under constant security pressure.
Anastasiia Dehterenko’s participation in the conference was made possible through the support of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund in cooperation with the Ukrainian Resilient Development Academy, which contributes to strengthening the presence of Ukrainian academic voices in the international scholarly community.
The conference provided an important platform for presenting Ukrainian scholarly perspectives within the international academic environment and for fostering further cooperation with European research networks in the field of political and ethnic studies.
On May 19-20, Mykola Riabchuk, a principal research fellow in the Department of Political Culture and Ideology, took part in the annual international Lublin Forum, organized by the local Institute of Central Europe under the title “Russian Aggression: Roots and Forms”. On the first day, he moderated the introductory panel “History as the Instrument of Power and (Epistemic) Violence” as a follow-up to Prof. Serhii Plokhy’s keynote lecture on “The Rise and Fall of the Pan-Russian Idea”. In his initial remarks, Dr. Riabchuk averred that all the nations are prone to invent traditions and variously cherish them (fabricating a “suitable past”, in Hobsbawm’s words), but Russia is very special in this regard since it paces “invented tradition” (the faked inheritance of, and equation with, Kyivan Rus) into the core of its history and identity.
The very existence of independent Ukraine undermines Russian historical narratives epistemically and legitimizes them politically. Ukraine inflicts existential uncertainty and anxiety upon the empire, and provokes it to get rid of the irritant, eliminate uncertainty and re-establish habitual self-confidence based on historical myths and forgeries.
This is why Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is so obsessed with history, as one may notice from his quasi-historical writings and references, his one hour long “lecture” to the U.S. interviewer Tucker Carlson, or his aborted historical lecture to Trump in Alaska. No Russian leader has ever been so preoccupied with history just because there was no independent, Western-driven Ukraine, no real challenge to Russian mythical narratives, and therefore no reason for the imperial existential anxiety. Now, as Ukraine tries to fix epistemic injustice under the flag of decolonization, Russia faces the choice: either to cease to be an empire and become a “normal” nation (as late Zbigniew Brzezinski suggested), or to fight the war with Ukraine that became really existential for both sides.
The Forum Program is accessible here: https://ies.lublin.pl/aktualnosc/lublin-forum-2026-program
On May 14-15, 2026, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “”Unity in Diversity”: Historical, Socio-Cultural and Geopolitical Dimension of the Main Idea of the European Union for Ukraine” was held at the O. Honchar Dnipro National University
The conference was held within the framework of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Project Module “European multiculturalism as an experience and a path for Ukraine’s European integration” with the financial support of the European Union.
During conference
The conference was attended by well-known Ukrainian and foreign historians, philosophers, and political scientists. The leading researcher of the Department of Ethnopolitical Science of our institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences Anatolii Podolskyi (member of the conference organizing committee), delivered a scientific report at the conference. The report was devoted to the current state of research and educational activities in the field of Holocaust Studies & Teaching, the fate of the Jews of Ukraine during the World War II, as well as the state of research in the field of modern history of Ukrainian Jewry. The speaker noted in his speech that during the Russian war against Ukraine, the development of Jewish studies did not stop, and was and is a component of research into multicultural modern Ukrainian society.
Anatolii Podolskyi speech
The following research areas were discussed during the conference:
- historical dimension of “Unity in Diversity”: European experience for Ukraine (genesis of the idea, historical lessons and challenges of overcoming national, ethnic and other antagonisms and forming a European community, the role of cultural heritage and common historical memory in the formation of European identity; Ukraine in the historical context of European diversity: Ukraine’s multicultural past as a basis for integration into the EU, historical parallels and differences between the Ukrainian path to unification and the European experience; rethinking national history and identity in the context of European values.
- socio-cultural dimension of “Unity in Diversity”: the impact of the idea on society, culture, education, minority rights and domestic policy of Ukraine on the path to the EU; cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of Ukraine as a resource and challenge for the implementation of the main idea of the EU (practical implementation by the state of EU principles, ensuring the rights of national minorities of Ukraine in accordance with EU standards, the impact of migration processes and internally displaced persons on the socio-cultural structure of Ukraine, etc.)
- the geopolitical dimension of “Unity in Diversity” for Ukraine: the strategic significance of the idea in Ukraine’s foreign policy, security and European integration process.
The Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnonational Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Sciences of Ukraine participated in the exhibition and presentation of research and developments of the NAS of Ukraine on the occasion of the Science Day of Ukraine, which took place on May 14–15, 2026.
The exhibition and presentation featured the latest results of the scientific research of the Institute’s staff. In particular, it included the monographs: “Political Security of Ukraine: The Problem of Stabilizing the Country’s Political Field. Forecast Assessment, Security Mechanisms”; “Adaptive Changes in the Functioning of the Political System of Ukraine in the Context of Post-War Reconstruction”; “Institutional (In)Capacity of the State in Ukraine: How to Break the Vicious Circle”; “Socio-Political Solidarity in Ukraine Under War Conditions”; “Socio-Political Solidarity in Ukraine in the Post-War Period”; “Ukraine in Struggle: War and Transformation of the State”; “Ukraine in Struggle: War and Transformation of Society”. As well as a series of analytical reports.
The publications caught the attention of the President of the NAS of Ukraine, Anatoly Zagorodny. He highly commended the scientific achievements of the staff, particularly the publication of the monographs, noting that each published work is the result of deep research, a significant contribution to the development of science, and a testament to the high professionalism of our authors. Even in challenging times, our colleagues demonstrate dedication to their work and continue to conquer new scientific heights.
On May 12, 2026, the Scientific and Methodological Seminar “National Consolidation: Methods of Study and Conceptual Framework” was held at the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The event was devoted to discussing theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of national consolidation processes in contemporary conditions.
The seminar brought together scholars, experts, and representatives of research institutions working in the fields of political science, public administration, social psychology, philosophy, and social communications. The main focus of the seminar was placed on defining the conceptual framework for the study of national consolidation, analyzing its key components, and identifying methods for assessing and monitoring the dynamics of consolidation processes in contemporary Ukrainian society.
A central part of the event consisted of academic presentations delivered by the Institute’s researchers. Professor Tetiana Bevz, Chief Research Fellow of the Department of Theory and History of Political Science and Doctor of Historical Sciences, presented a report entitled “The Concept and Discourse of National Consolidation in Contemporary Political Science.” In her presentation, the researcher focused on the peculiarities of the use of the concept of “national consolidation” in contemporary political and academic discourse, outlined the main approaches to its interpretation, and emphasized the complexity of developing a universal definition of this phenomenon in the context of social transformations and war.
The second presentation, “Specific Features of Consolidation in Authoritarian and Democratic Regimes,” was delivered by Maksym Rozumnyi, Head of the Department of Theory and History of Political Science and Doctor of Political Sciences. The presentation addressed the differences in the mechanisms of social consolidation within democratic and authoritarian political systems, as well as the role of political institutions, public trust, and civic participation in shaping consolidation processes.
Following the presentations, a professional discussion took place during which participants exchanged views on methodological approaches to the study of national consolidation, the possibilities of applying interdisciplinary research methods, and the criteria for evaluating consolidation processes.
Invited experts participating in the discussion included: Iryna Pavlenko, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Head of the Department for Political System Development at the Center for Social Research; Yuliia Kaplan, Candidate of Political Sciences and Head of the Department of Social Communications at the National Institute for Strategic Studies; Olena Sushyi, Doctor of Sciences in Public Administration and Head of the Department of Psychology of Masses and Communities at the Institute for Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine; Tetiana Vasylevska, Doctor of Sciences in Public Administration and Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; and Volodymyr Fadieiev, Head of the Department of Philosophical Problems of Ethnos and Nation at the H. S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Researchers from the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine also took an active part in the discussion, including Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine and Professor Oleksandr Maiboroda; Professor Viktor Kotyhorenko; Professor Yurii Nikolaets; Professor Yurii Shapoval; Associate Professor Oleh Kondratenko; Nataliia Kononenko; Rostyslav Balaban; Oleksandr Palii; Mykola Horbatiuk; Alyona Hurkivska, PhD in Political Science; and other members of the Institute’s academic staff.
During the discussion panel, participants focused on several key issues. In particular, they discussed the problem of defining the essence of national consolidation in contemporary conditions, the correlation between political, ideological, and socio-psychological factors of consolidation processes, as well as the possibility of developing a system of criteria and indicators for assessing the level of social consolidation.
Special attention was also devoted to tracking the dynamics of consolidation processes and identifying effective research tools for their analysis. Participants emphasized the importance of combining political, sociological, psychological, and communicative approaches in the study of contemporary socio-political processes.
The seminar became a platform for professional discussion of current methodological challenges in contemporary political science and for outlining directions for further research in the field of national consolidation.
Scientific journal «POLITICAL STUDIES»
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