On July 15, 2021, the 26th World Congress of Political Sciences concluded its work. The congress was held online. The theme of the Congress: “New nationalisms in the open world.”

During the World Congress of Political Science

More than 1000 scientific events of the Congress (panel discussions, inaugural lectures, round tables, etc.) were attended by more than 1,000 participants – scientists from 70 countries.

The participants’ attention was focused on the problems of new varieties of nationalism, which has become widespread in the modern world. Scientists see a certain paradox in this, because its (nationalism) development takes place in a period of openness, globalization and increasing interdependence. In addition, it was noted during the Congress, the new nationalism is supported in both poor and rich countries. This phenomenon requires political scientists to answer a number of questions, including: “What is the new nationalism, who are the new nationalist leaders and what are the similarities and differences between the new nationalisms and their predecessors?”; “How can new nationalisms be interpreted and classified?”; “How does the new nationalism correlate with populism and authoritarianism?”; finally, “What are the potential effects of the new nationalism on political systems, global governance, international relations, political behavior, etc.?” In general, most participants in the discussions noted the fact that the new nationalism is becoming one of the main challenges of the XXI century, given its sophistication, versatility, aggression, and therefore less predictable.

Meetings of the governing bodies of the International Association of Political Sciences (IPSA) took place during the Congress.

Oleg Rafalsky, President of the Association of Political Sciences of Ukraine, has been elected to the organization’s highest representative body, the IPSA Council. As a member of the IPSA Council, O. Rafalsky participated in the election of the President and the IPSA Executive Committee. Professor Diana Pinderhouse from the USA has been elected the new president of the organization.

On June 22, 2021, the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center hosted a round table “Ukraine as a civilizational subject of history and modernity” during which a presentation of the national report of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine took place.

Topics for discussion were:

• The country as a subject of civilization. Civilizational subjectivity of Ukraine and our statehood;
• State projects in the light of historical traditions of Ukrainian subjectivity. Formation of Ukrainian statehood;
• Modern Ukraine: perception by citizens and international partners;
• Ukraine as a subject of the modern world: strategies and forecasts. Ways of development and prospects of civilizational subjectivity of Ukraine.

During a round table at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center

The following participants spoke in the discussion:

• Pyrozhkov Serhiy Ivanovych, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Khamitov Nazip Vilenovych, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Leading Researcher of H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Sossa Rostyslav Ivanovych, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Department of Historical Regional Studies of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Yas Oleksiy Vasyliovych, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Leading Researcher of the Department of Ukrainian Historiography of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Yakubova Larysa Dmytrivna, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Head of the Department of History of Ukraine of the 1920s and 1930s. Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Dembitsky Serhiy Serhiyovych, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Senior Researcher of the Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociology of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Mayboroda Oleksandr Mykytovych, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Deputy Director of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Ashot Dadikoevich Avanesyan, Chairman of the Council of National Communities of Ukraine, President of the National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine
• The moderator of the round table was the People’s Deputy of Ukraine Oleh Dunda (“Servant of the People” party).
• The event was attended by employees of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies.of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – Deputy Director of the Institute, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Yu. Shaygorodsky and Leading Research Scientist, Doctor of Political Sciences, Associate Professor O. Kondratenko.

Round table broadcast

The Center of East European Studies of Warsaw University has published a monograph “Eastern Europe since 1989: Between the Loosened Authoritarianism and Unconsolidated Democracy. Essays on Lectures” by Dr. Mykola Riabchuk, a Senior Research Fellow at the Ethnopolitics Departments of the Institute of Political and Nationalities’ Studies, of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The book explores the structural factors that determined different development of the postcommunist states since 1989 and the role of domestic and international actors that influenced the direction and speed and scope of their transformations. While the author keeps all the East Europe in mind, from the Baltic to Adriatic and the Black Sea, the main focus is on the post-Soviet part of the Eastern Europe, the so-called ‘Western New Independent States’ (a.k.a. ‘New Eastern Europe’), and specifically on Ukraine as the most complicated, ambivalent, and graphical case of both the decommunization and decolonization processes. The process tracing is combined with political analysis of historical developments in the postcommunist Eastern Europe drawn primarily on the theories of hybrid regimes, illiberal democracies, path-dependence and revolutionary breakthroughs. The monograph might be used as both the textbook for graduate students and invitation to further debate for historians, political scientists, experts, policy makers and all the committed East Europe watchers.

Eastern Europe since 1989: Between the Loosened Authoritarianism and Unconsolidated Democracy. Warszawa: Studium Europy Wschodniej, 2020, 208 s. ISBN 978-83-61325-88-8 https://issuu.com/uw87/docs/09_rjabczuk_collect

On June 10, 2021, under the auspices of Shevchenko Scientific Society in America, an online presentation of the newly published book by our colleague – Chief Research Scientist of the Department of Ethno-political Studies Volodymyr Kulyk “Language Policy in Multilingual Countries. Foreign experience and its suitability for Ukraine” was held. Shevchenko Scientific Society in America together with the Ukrainian Fulbright Circle financially supported the publication of the book by the publishing house “Spirit and Letter”. In addition to the author, Leading Research Scientist of the Department of Ethno-political Science Mykola Ryabchuk and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) Lada Bilaniuk took part in the presentation.

Volodymyr Kulyk told about the idea and tasks of the book and the main conclusions from the analysis conducted in it. He stressed the inadequacy of the common ideas in Ukraine about the language policy of different multilingual countries and the possibility of transferring their approaches into Ukrainian practice. He explained that he aimed to tell the Ukrainian readers about the peculiarities of language policy in different countries and to find out the main factors of its success or failure. As for the possibility of applying the experience of other countries in Ukraine, the author of the book was guided by the instruction that you can borrow only those samples that have become hasty in very similar social conditions. Therefore, in the last chapter of the book, he analyzes the degree of similarity of Ukraine to certain countries and concludes that the limited application of their experience, although it indicates several aspects that should be taken into account in Ukrainian language policy.

Lada Bilaniuk and Mykola Ryabchuk noted the analytical depth of Volodymyr Kulyk’s book and its importance for a better understanding of the experience of different countries in Ukraine and overcoming simplistic ideas about the possibility of borrowing it. They also asked the author several questions, which the moderator of the discussion Vasyl Makhno supplemented with questions from the audience. The presentation ended with a short discussion between the participants on these issues.

Video of the presentation

You can order the book on the website of the publishing house “Spirit and Letter”

On May 28, the annual International Research and Practical Conference “Transformational Processes in Ukraine in the Context of Civilization and Globalization Challenges of the XXI Century” was organized by Hryhoriy Skovoroda University in Pereyaslav (Hryhoriy Skovoroda State Pedagogical University) and Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine together with other partners. The conference, which was held in a “mixed” – offline and online formats – was attended by more than 130 scientists, including researchers and graduate students of our Institute.

The conference program provided coverage of a number of important components of civilizational transformations of Ukraine and the world in the context of globalization, legal, political, socio-cultural issues of modern information and network society, public administration, domestic higher education system and more. The conference was held in a mixed format – offline and online.

Opening

Maiboroda, Deputy Director for Research, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, addressed the conference participants with an introductory speech.

Vladimir Vakulych, Rostyslav Balaban, Oleg Kalakura

The reports at the plenary session were made by our colleagues: Head of the Department of Ethno-political Science, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor V. Voynalovych, Head of the Department of Theoretical and Applied Problems of Political Science, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine H. Zelenko, Senior Research Science of the Department of Political and applied problems of political science, Candidate of Political sciences R. Balaban, Chief Research Scientist of the Department of National Minorities, Doctor of Political Sciences, professor O. Kalakura, Leading Research Scientist of this department, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Yu. Nikolayets.

Victor Voynalovich, Yuriy Nikolayets

Participants of the online discussion

The online sections of the conference were attended by employees of the Department of Socio-Political History – Chief Research Scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor T. Bevz, Leading Research Scientist, Doctor of Political Sciences, Associate Professor V. Yaremchuk, Senior Research Scientist, Candidate of Historical Sciences M. Gorbatyuk, employees of the department of national minorities – Senior Research Scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor V. Kotsur, Research Scientist, Candidates of Historical Cciences L. Kovach and O. Lyashenko, Junior Research Scientist, Candidate of Historical Sciences V. Novorodovsky, employees of the Department of Theoretical and Applied Problems of Political Science – Leading Research Scientists, Doctors of Political Sciences, O. Kondratenko and T. Lyashenko, Senior Research Scientist, Candidate of Political Sciences N. Kononenko, Research Scientist, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences E. Shcherbenko, Leading Research Scientist of the Department of Ethno-Political Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Yu. Polishchuk.

Conference participants

Within the framework of the research and practical event there was a substantive and fruitful discussion on topical issues of the current stage of civilizational development of Ukraine in the context of globalization.

The scientists from Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine took part in the III All-Ukrainian research and practical conference “Political processes of modernity: global and regional dimensions”, which took place online  on May 27-28, 2021.

The co-organizers of the research and practical event were Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and our Institute. During the two days of work, the conference was attended by about 60 scientists – employees of higher education institutions and research institutions.

The conference program included a discussion of current issues of socio-political state formation development at the present stage.

The Reports at the plenary session of the conference were made by the staff of the Institute – Deputy Director for Research, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Yu. Shaihorodskyi, Senior Research Scientist of the Department of Theoretical and Applied Problems of Political Sciences, Candidate of Political Sciences P. Balaban, Chief Research Scientist of the Department of National Minorities, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor O. Kalakura

During the online conference

In the mode of section meetings, the scientists of the Institute joined the discussion of topical problems of social and political development – the Chief Research Scientist of the Department of Social and Political History, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor T. Bevz, Senior Research Scientist of this Department, Candidate of Historical Sciences M. Gorbatiuk, Research Scientist of the Department of National Minorities, Candidate of Historical Sciences L. Kovach.

The key issues of discussion were theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of political processes, problems of development and functioning of political institutions, a wide range of problems related to electoral processes in Ukraine, ethnopolitical and value aspects of consolidation of Ukrainian society.

On May 26, the General Assembly of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine held a session on the election of full members (academics), corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and foreign members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, during which Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Head of the Department of Theoretical and applied problems of political science of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine Halyna Ivanivna Zelenko was elected a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences.

We sincerely congratulate Halyna Ivanivna on this important event not only for her, but also for the whole team.

The Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On Honoring the Memory of Ukrainians Who Saved Jews during the Second World War” established the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians in Ukraine who rescued Jews during World War II. The Remembrance Day is celebrated annually on May 14.

This year, the Day of Ukrainian Rescuers was celebrated for the first time. Prior to this Day, a Leading Research Scientist of our Institute, Candidate of Historical Sciences Anatoliy Podolsky gave an interview to Public Radio.

The scholar stressed the importance of honoring the memory of those who risked their lives and their relatives’ lives to help Jews avoid Nazi terror during the Holocaust. “The Ukrainian historical calendar,” said the historian, “is becoming more powerful. We are gradually ceasing to fear our own historical past, returning the memory of the Ukrainian national movement, Roma, Jews, prisoners of war, forced laborers, victims of the Holodomor and the Holocaust. These dates are very important. “

Anatoliy Podolsky in the studio of the Ukrainian radio

The list of the Righteous Among the Nations, created by the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem, includes about 27,000 people, including 2,659 Ukrainians. During World War II, saving the lives of Jews, Jewish families who were doomed to be killed by the Nazi regime just because they were born Jewish, was a real heroism. That is why today we honor the memory of these people and return their names to the pages of our difficult history of the last century.

Anatoliy Podolsky’s interview to Public Radio

Analytical report “Subject of Ukraine in the modern world: assessments, strategies, forecasts. Analytical report” was published.

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On May 27-28, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine hold the III All-Ukrainian research and practical conference “Political processes of today: global and regional dimensions.” We invite you to participate in the conference.

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On April 27, 2021, the second meeting of the series of research events in the form of a web discourse entitled “Ukrainian statehood of modern times: controversial issues” was initiated by Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine, Institute of History, MS Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archaeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, I. Krypyakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the National Union of Regional Ethnographers of Ukraine.

The second meeting of the web discourse “The Latest Hetmanate: a socio-political phenomenon of the revolutionary era” was attended by the employees of the Institute – Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Chief Research Scientist of the Department of Socio-Political History Valery Soldatenko and Chief Research Scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Tatiana Bevz.

The discussion, within the scientific event, was conducted in the following areas:

1. The essence of the state-political model of the Hetmanate: modern historiographical visions.
2. Conservative-liberal reforms: causes of failure.
3. The figure of Paul Skoropadsky: the evolution of political loyalty.

Next in line are new events in the reserach cycle of the web discourse “Ukrainian statehood of modern times: controversial issues”, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

The monograph of Karmazina M., Bevz T., Gorbatyuk M., Zorich O. “Regional political elites in Ukraine: features of formation, values and identity (end of 1991-2019)” was published. (more…)

Collective monograph “The political field of Ukraine in a situation of social crisis: authority, opposition, political parties, non-governmental organisations” was published. (more…)

On April 29, 2021, the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the editorial board of the journal Studia Polityczne held an online discussion on the topic: “The Way to Europe: Polish and Ukrainian Experience”. About 30 scientists from Poland and Ukraine took part in the scientific event.

This event was attended by the employees of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Oleksandr Maiboroda, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Yuriy Shaygorodsky and Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Oleh Kalakura.

During an online discussion

The key issues of discussion were the problems of compliance of the state ethno-national policy of Ukraine with European criteria. During the discussion, problematic issues that arise in ensuring the state unity of Ukraine, the consolidation of its citizens into a common nation, the filling of national historical consciousness were raised.

The participants of the meeting stressed that the idea of ​​federalization in Ukraine has no preconditions and is mostly part of Russia’s policy, its efforts to prevent Ukraine’s movement towards the European and Euro-Atlantic integration, to keep Ukraine within its imperial influence.

The participants of the discussion made proposals for deepening cooperation between Ukrainian and Polish scientists.

Karmazina M.’s monograph “Thirty years of Ukrainian multiparty system (late 1990 – early 2020)” was published.

More details about the monograph

On April 26, 2021, the Head of the Department of theoretical and applied problems of political science of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Halyna Zelenko gave an interview to the YouTube channel Ukr.life on the peculiarities of the political regime in Ukraine, which described the nature and causes of the clan-oligarchic regime in Ukraine, revealed the specifics of functioning formal and informal political institutions, showed the mechanisms of incorporation of the political class, assessed the process of de-oligarchization, which has become a top topic of Ukrainian political discourse in recent years.

The full version of the interview can be viewed here.

Chief Research Scientist of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Tatiana Bevz took part in the III International Research Online Conference “Historical and Cultural Heritage: Preservation, Access, Use”. The conference took place on April 21-22, 2021. The scientific event was organized by the National Aviation University with the participation of the Central State Electronic Archive of Ukraine, the Lithuanian State New Archive and the Kaunas Regional State Archive (Republic of Lithuania). The conference was attended by 86 scientists from Ukraine, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. The main attention of the participants was paid to the activities of archival, museum and library institutions in the preservation, use and access to historical and cultural heritage.

During the conference

In her report “The problem of actualization of historical memory in the context of the political influence of regional elites” Tatiana Bevz stressed that historical memory not only shapes the picture of the past, but also constructs the meanings of the present. In Ukraine, the speaker stressed, the politics of memory is a symbolic resource not only of national but also regional elites, which, on the one hand, “can create a favorable ground for the growth of multiple and complementary identities”, and on the other – “can stimulate the growth of polar and conflicting identities”.

Tetiana Bevz

In conclusion, the speaker stressed that, given that the historical past is becoming an ideological present, the Ukrainian society needs a balanced state policy of national memory at both the national and regional levels.

On April 21, 2021, a round table was held on the topic: “Maidan as a postmodern revolution: problems of terminology” with the participation of historians, philosophers, political scientists, lawyers, culturologists and direct participants in the protests of modern times in Ukraine.

The round table was organized by the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.

The main issues for discussion were:

• The phenomenon of “revolution” and the definition of the term “revolution of a new type”. Transformation of meanings: driving forces and essential characteristics of new types of revolutions.
• “Maidan” as a generic concept for modern protest movements in Ukraine. Euromaidan as a revolution of the precariat: pro & contra. Euromaidan as a trigger of the Revolution of Dignity.
• “Protest movement”, “resistance movement”, “mass protest”: qualification of the phenomenon of civil protest.

The round table was attended by staff of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine – Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Socio-Political History Maria Karmazina and Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Department Tatiana Bevz.

The full version of the round table can be viewed here.

Researchers from Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – Chief Research Scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Yuriy Shapoval and Leading Research Scientist, Candidate of Historical Sciences Anatoliy Podolsky took part in the research conference “The Ukrainian Liberation Movement during World War II: Memory vs. Propaganda”.

The conference was held on April 15-16, 2021 on the basis of the Faculty of History of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University with the support of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel. A peculiar impetus for holding a research conference on this topic was the discussion that unfolded in Ukrainian society around the naming of the stadium in Ternopil after Roman Shukhevych. The participants of the conference once again proved the need for a balanced scientific approach to a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the history of the Ukrainian liberation movement during the Second World War. The issues of instrumentalization of memory, the role of the individual in history, as well as the use of various political forces of problems related to the history of the Ukrainian liberation movement in the past and present were discussed.

During the two days of the conference, five panel discussions were held.

Conference program

Researchers of our Institute took part in an online discussion on the topic: “Ukrainian dimension of the Second World War: remember everything”. The moderator of this scientific discussion was A. Podolsky.

In their speeches, Yu. Shapoval and A. Podolsky stressed the importance of building a realistic model of memory of the events of World War II, in particular – the activities of representatives of the Ukrainian national liberation movement during the Nazi occupation. In the Ukrainian historiography of the Soviet period, this topic was subjected to a total ban. Today, along with the history of the Holocaust, the Roma genocide, the fate of prisoners of war and forced laborers – has become one of the leading studies of domestic historians.

Professor J. Hrytsak, Professor O. Styazhkina, Associate Professor O. Yatyschuk, historian V. Nakhmanovych also took part in the discussion.

Video of the conference

On April 15, 2021, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University hosted the All-Ukrainian online scientific conference “Alexander Karpenko – a prominent Ukrainian historian, teacher, public figure” dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of a prominent Ukrainian historian, teacher and public figure. He entered historiography as a researcher of the Ukrainian national movement of the first half of the twentieth century, made a significant contribution to the study of the history of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic.

One of the co-organizers of the conference was our Institute, because O. Karpenko’s scientific activity was closely connected with our scientific institution – he long headed the Research Center for the Ukrainian National Liberation Movement (a joint unit of the V. Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

 Opening the conference, the rector of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ihor Tsependa, recalling Oleksandr Karpenko, said: “When we remember our teachers, we have a future.”

The conference was attended by staff of Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine – Chief Research Scientist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Tatiana Bevz and Leading Research Scientist, Doctor of Political Sciences Vyacheslav Yaremchuk.

Tatiana Bevz

In a report on “The Political Elite in the Conditions of Revolutions: A View from the Present,” Tatiana Bevz noted that the creation and functioning of the state always depended on the quality of the political elite or, as it was called at various times: aristocracy. For centuries, the “Achilles’ heel” of the Ukrainian statehood has been and remains the quality of the national political elite. This problem was urgent during the Ukrainian liberation struggle of 1917–1921, and remains unresolved even in our turbulent times.

The research conference in Ivano-Frankivsk, in fact, continues the cycle of scientific events with the participation of the Institute, during which on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, scientists analyze and discuss the fundamental problems of Ukrainian statehood.