Ukraine Decolonization Month is an annual initiative dedicated to reclaiming and reaffirming Ukraine’s intellectual and cultural heritage. Each year, we focus on a specific dimension of Ukrainian thought — from literature and art to scholarship and historical memory — examining how imperial narratives distorted, appropriated, or erased it. Through expert discussions, educational resources, and community engagement, we raise awareness of the colonial legacy, restore rightful attribution to Ukraine, and equip local communities with the knowledge, language, and practical tools needed to continue this decolonization work throughout the year.
The online panel, “Decolonization of Ukrainian Studies,” brought together scholars and advocates to explore how Ukrainian studies programs can be reimagined and strengthened within academic institutions. Panelists discussed practical strategies for advocating curriculum changes, confronting colonial legacies in education, and expanding inclusive, accurate representation of Ukraine’s history, culture, and global significance. The conversation blended expert insights with actionable ideas for educators, students, and community members committed to reshaping how Ukrainian studies are taught and understood in universities and beyond.
Moderator Ukrainian writer, translator, and linguistic researcher Eugenia Kuznetsova
Guest Speaker: Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States (February 2021 – August 2025).
Tetiana Filevska – Art manager, curator, and scholar of 20th-century Ukrainian art
Dr. Oleh Kotsyuba, HURI Publishing
Oksana Lutsyshyna — Ukrainian writer, translator, poet, award-winning author, and Associate Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
Grace Mahoney, a scholar of Ukrainian literature, arts, and gender studies
Myroslav Shkandrij, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba
Dr. Sophia Wilson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the President of the American Association for Ukrainian Studies.
Yuliya Yurchuk, Associate Professor of History of Ideas at Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Watch YouTube recording ->> Decolonization of Ukrainian Studies <<-
As russia wages a war against Ukrainian identity, translation has become its own form of decolonization.
UNWLA’s “Translation as Resistance” panel brought together translators, editors, and cultural advocates to explore how Ukrainian literature reaches global readers — and what it takes to get it there.
Through the lens of two powerful books documenting Ukrainian civil society and wartime resilience, the conversation revealed both the barriers and the growing momentum behind Ukrainian literature in English translation.
“There is a tremendous opportunity for Ukrainian literature in local U.S. libraries,” said UNWLA Chair of Education Anna Petelina. “By building relationships with librarians, connecting thematic displays to national moments, and making the case – book by book – Ukrainian literature belongs on every shelf and in the hands of American readers.”
Watch full recording of the panel discussion
To support that effort, UNWLA has released a special outreach toolkit and a set of read-alike posters for local libraries. Every Ukrainian book that reaches a new reader is an act of reclamation — proof that Ukraine’s intellectual tradition is alive, sovereign, and impossible to erase.
Outreach Toolkit & General Library Outreach and Toolkits
