Historical Background and General Information

kids and adults in playground

Primer on the War in Ukraine

TCUP Director Emily Channell-Justice’s presentation, “Russia’s War in Ukraine: What Everyone Should Know,” covers the key facts about the war and historical context. This presentation was given on 4/21/22 at an event hosted by Flint Memorial Library in North Reading, MA.

Understanding Ukraine-Russia: A Thousand Years of History

Historian Kimberly St. Julian Varnon joins TCUP Director Emily Channell-Justice and Averpoint’s Shouvik Banerjee to discuss Ukraine’s historical relationship with Russia and the world and how this shapes present-day events. Audio event; listen here

The Frontline: Essays on Ukraine’s Past and Present

Serhii Plokhy, 2021

The Frontline addresses key events in Ukrainian history, including Ukraine’s complex relations with Russia and the West, the burden of tragedies such as the Holodomor and World War II, the impact of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and Ukraine’s contribution to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Juxtaposing Ukraine’s history to the contemporary politics of memory, this volume provides a multidimensional image of a country that continues to make headlines around the world. The essays collected here reveal the roots of the ongoing political, cultural, and military conflict in Ukraine, the largest country in Europe.

Chapters available online (open access):

Watch: “The Frontline: A Conversation on Ukraine’s Past and Present” with Serhii Plokhy and Oleh Kotsyuba.

Teaching and Studying Ukraine: List of Resources

At the start of the COVID pandemic, HURI compiled this list of online resources that may be useful to those studying and teaching Ukraine. Although it extends beyond the current crisis, it may be of interest to those who want to learn more about Ukraine in general or identify core sources for ongoing information.