An online course that restores the memory of the past and encourages us to understand the present of Ukrainians
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has raised the question of Ukrainian identity – for the whole world and for Ukrainians themselves. Why, after 30 years of independence, should the Ukrainian people once again fight for the existence of their own state? Why does the Russian dictator Putin use historical labels to justify his invasion of Ukraine, such as ‘Lenin created Ukraine’ or ‘We are brotherly nations’? Why do Ukrainians living abroad sometimes have to be told that Ukraine is a separate independent state, not a province of Russia, and that the Russian-Ukrainian war is not a civil war?
The media project ‘‘Because of them: the history of Ukrainians’’ tells how Ukrainian political history was created and how the Ukrainian political nation was formed – from the early 19th century to the modern era of independence. Through immersion in the historical process, participants can learn why Ukraine in 2024 continues to fight for independence and the right to choose its own political, cultural and economic path, regardless of the aspirations of Russia, which has long been an imperial centre for Ukraine. Restoring historical memory is extremely important for Ukrainian society, as it is part of the path to victory in the current war.
The multimedia project consists of five parts, covering different periods of Ukrainian history and different audiovisual formats to engage the audience in Ukrainian and English, directed at both Ukrainians and foreigners. It was developed by Coopera e.V. and NEED science&education.
Each new episode of the series tells the story of a historical figure who embodies a period of Ukrainian history: historian Volodymyr Antonovych, chairman of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian People’s Republic Mykhailo Hrushevsky, writer and politician Mykola Khvylovy, dissident and politician Vyacheslav Chornovil, and civic activist and military man Roman Ratushny. By telling the stories of these people, we also reveal the history of the period in which they lived and explain the causes and consequences of the events that took place in Ukraine.
The podcast consists of 10 episodes, each of which tells the story of a certain period of Ukrainian history – from the 19th century to the Revolution of Dignity. The script of each episode is designed to tell the story of people and events that were key to a particular period of Ukrainian history.
The short format of the visualisation cards about Ukrainian figures allows us to tell the stories of people who were not included in the educational series and podcast. For example, about the first Ukrainian officer Olena Stepaniv or the Ukrainian writer and leader of the women’s movement Liudmyla Starytska-Cherniakhivska.
The full versions of the interviews with historians conducted for the series and podcast will be of interest to anyone who wants to delve further into Ukrainian history after watching the series or listening to the podcast.
At the moment the content is available only in Ukrainian.
We are working on its translation into English.
Go to the page in Ukrainian
The project is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in the framework of the Eastern Partnership program.
2020
Democracy is what people in many countries of the world speak of when they think of freedom, a just legal system, chances for their own economic well-being or the hope not to be discriminated against religious belief or sexual orientation. Protest movements that demand a dictator to leave and free and fair elections are often portrayed in the media worldwide. But what does “democracy” mean? Is it an ideal that a society can try to get as close as possible? Or can a constitution and elections guarantee a democracy to stay? Which role do media and civil society play? And how can you participate in a democracy?
online course
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2022
Conspiracy 101 is a free online course on conspiracy theories and disinformation. Lectures, podcasts and illustrated texts cover origins and impact of anti-Ukrainian narratives before and during the Russian full-scale war against Ukraine, conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic and the historical origins of antisemitic conspiracy theories. Also, we look at psychological reasons for conspiracy belief. Researchers and journalists discuss specific cultural and political features, freedom of expression and critical thinking in Ukrainian, German and Russian society.
online course
podcast
educational videos
lecture
articles
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