Conference in Cherkasy Oblast to focus on oral history research (06/21/98)

Conference in Cherkasy Oblast to focus on oral history research

by Natalie Kononenko

KYIV - The Kyiv-based Center for the Study of Oral History and Culture, the journal Rodovid, and the Cherkasy Ethnographic Museum invite all ethnographers to in an international conference in Cherkasy, Ukraine, in August 1998 with fieldwork in central Ukraine.

The conference, "Problems in Oral History Research on East European Villages of the 1920s-1940s" will take place August 4-7, in the Cherkasy Ethnographic Museum. An optional additional activity is to conduct fieldwork in villages under the guidance of local ethnographers of the center and the museum. Field trips begin August 8, the duration of the fieldwork is up to the scholar and can continue for as many days as you wish. Both the conference and the fieldwork opportunity are geared to be of interest to ethnographers, anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, sociologists - as well as to folklorists and historians.

One of the most serious lacunae in Soviet era ethnography is oral history: not only its collection but its interpretation as well. The few oral history projects that were undertaken were seriously flawed by the ideological distortions of the time. Thousands of now-elderly who can speak to the specifics of the Soviet time period still live in villages in Ukraine.

Whatever their area of specialization, anyone with an interest in the collection and interpretation of oral history, or with experience in oral history/ethnography that touches on the problems of this time period, is invited to participatein the conference. This includes those who have conducted research in other parts of Eastern Europe and can offer a comparative view to research undertaken in Ukraine. This is, among other things, an opportunity for comparative research in the villages of Ukraine.

Conference schedule

The conference languages are Ukrainian and English. Papers should be no more than 20 minutes in length, with 10 minutes for questions and answers immediately after each presentation. Those interested in presenting papers should contact organizers for submission specifics.

The general conference schedule is as follows:

August 4 - arrival in Kyiv; transportation by car to Cherkasy;
August 5 - plenary sessions, morning and afternoon;
August 6 - separate sessions, panels;
August 8 - transportation from Cherkasy to Kyiv or begin fieldwork.

For those who wish to remain in Kyiv, organizers can provide assistance in finding accommodations. Hotel accommodations cost from $45 (double) to $90 (single) per night. Participants can be placed in a private apartment for $20 a night. Another option is to live with an English-speaking family for $20 a night per person.

Fieldwork option

For those wishing to stay on and conduct fieldwork, this option can begin the day after the conference - Saturday, August 8 - and last as many days as you wish. The cost is $30 per day, including transportation, meals, housing, and an accompanying ethnographer from the center or from the museum.The cost for an interpreter is an additional $10 per day. The accompanying ethnographer will take those interested to representative villages in Cherkasy Oblast. Those intending to conduct fieldwork should contact organizers with details as to their research interests by July 1 so that an itinerary can be planned. A wide range of specialists who work in either or both the center and the museum is available and most research requests can be accommodated.

Registration due July 10

The registration fee is $90 (U.S. only please). Please request a registration form from address below or e-mail: [email protected]. Applications and one-page abstracts must be received no later than July 10. Make checks or money orders payable to "Rodovid," and send to: Rodovid; 18200 S. Mullen Road, Belton, MO 64012.

All other fees and charges for accommodations, should be paid in cash on-site in Ukraine (either Ukrainian hryvnia, U.S. or Canadian dollars, or DM). Travelers checks, money orders, personal checks, or credit cards will not be accepted.

Citizens of all states outside of Eastern Europe are required to have a visa to enter Ukraine. We can furnish participants with theletter of invitation needed to acquire a visa. Because visas can take up to two weeks to be processed, requests for visas and payments of the registration fee mus be made no later than July 10. Participants are advised to contact the Ukrainian Embassy or consulate in their respective countries for details on visa applications.

For further information, contact either William Noll of the center or Lidia Lykhach of Rodovid in Kyiv at tel/fax (+380-44) 295-4064 during office hours, or e-mail [email protected]