International Congress of Ukrainian Historians scheduled to be held in Lutsk (04/16/06)

International Congress of Ukrainian Historians scheduled to be held in Lutsk

by Lubomyr Wynar

KENT, Ohio - The past 15 years have witnessed the rebirth of Ukrainian national historiography in which the International Congress of Ukrainian Historians has played a significant role. Held in Ukraine every three years, these congresses provide an important forum for the various generations of historians from across the world to meet and discuss themes that are central to Ukrainian historiography, to identify existing needs and define priorities, and to steer the future direction of Ukrainian historical scholarship.

In recognizing the importance for interaction between historians and scholarly institutions on a continual basis, the Ukrainian Historical Association initiated and promoted the concept of organizing and sponsoring periodic international congresses to be held in Ukraine and co-sponsored by the Institute of History and other institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukrainian scholarly institution, as well as universities hosting these congresses.

The first International Congress of Ukrainian Historians was held in May of 2000 at the National University of Chernivtsi with an attendance of over 350 historians and resulted in the printing of a four-volume publication of conference proceedings.

The Second International Congress of Ukrainian Historians was held in 2003 with over 500 scholars participating. To date, the first volume of conference proceedings has been published, the second is presently being printed and soon to be released, and the third and fourth are being prepared for printing.

These two congresses have provided to many of Ukraine's younger scholars the opportunity to meet each other, to directly interact with leading historians from Ukraine and the diaspora, and to present their own research at a prestigious international forum.

The third International Congress of Ukrainian Historians will take place in Lutsk on May 17-19 at the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. It is significant that 2006 is a commemorative year marking the 140th anniversary of the birth of Ukraine's greatest historian, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, and also the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Hrushevsky Studies by the Ukrainian Historical Association as a separate branch of scholarly inquiry.

Organizers of this third congress include: the Ukrainian Historical Association (U.S.A., Canada, Ukraine), the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Ivan Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Scholarship of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the World Scholarly Council, and the Historical Section of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S.A.

The Organizing Committee has invited President Viktor Yushchenko to serve as honorary chair of the congress. Prof. Ihor Kochan, rector of the Volyn National University, and Prof. Lubomyr Wynar, president of the Ukrainian Historical Association and head of the World Scholarly Council, are co-chairs. Vice-chairmen are academician Valeryj Smolij, director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv); academician Iaroslav Isajevych, director of the Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Lviv); and Prof. Sviatlana Havryliuk, vice-rector of Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University and head of the Lutsk Ukrainian Historical Association.

The Organizing Committee includes 27 historians and the Program Committee has 14 members, all representing various Ukrainian universities and academic institutes from Ukraine and the western diaspora.

Important historical topics will be addressed within the many planned sessions, which include the following: "Present State, Problems and Direction of Contemporary Historiography"; "Source Studies and Other Special Historical Disciplines"; "Hrushevsky Studies"; "Ukrainian State Building: History and Future Perspectives"; "Genocide of the Ukrainian People during the 20th Century, the Holodomor"; "The Resistance Movement in Ukraine during the Second World War"; "Ukrainian Ethnic Territories beyond Ukraine's Borders"; "History of the Ukrainian Diaspora"; "The Christian Church in the History of the Ukrainian Nation"; "Ukraine Within Contemporary World and European Geopolitics"; "Problems of Retaining a National Culture within Globalization"; "World History in the Research of Ukrainian Scholars: Modern Approaches and Interpretations"; and "Historical Theory and Methodology."

Special attention will also be placed on the Ukrainian historical process in the 20th century and the central issues within contemporary Ukrainian historiography. In the session on Ukraine during World War II, the genesis and development of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the activities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and other political movements will be analyzed. In the section on the Ukrainian diaspora, attention will also be given to the nature and extent of cooperation between historians and scholarly institutions from Ukraine and the diaspora.

Congress organizers are anticipating the participation of historians from Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, the United States and Canada, as well as from other countries. All congress proceedings and papers will be printed in a three-volume publication. Special committees will examine the issue of archival materials in Ukraine and the diaspora, and the nature of further cooperation between historians and scholarly institutions. A special meeting is planned between the editorial committees of the Ukrainian Historian (published by the Ukrainian Historical Association) and the Ukrainian Historical Journal (published by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

The Organizing Committee has extended an invitation to historians as well as to members of scholarly institutions to participate in this congress. Non-historians who are enthusiasts of Ukrainian history are also welcome to attend.

Detailed information on the Third International Congress of Ukrainian Historians is available via e-mail from: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Mailing addresses are as follows: Prof. Sviatlana Havryliuk, vice-rector, Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University, Cabinet No. 97, City of Lutsk, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine 43025, or The Ukrainian Historical Association, P.O. Box 312, Kent, OH 44240.

Members of the organizing and program committees are appealing to Ukrainians and Ukrainian institutions in the U.S. and Canada to support this important third International Congress of Ukrainian Historians. Financial donations would be most appreciated since funds are needed to help defray the transportation and attendance costs of many of our best and brightest younger historians from Ukraine and the Eastern Diaspora who, without some financial assistance, would be unable to attend. It is this generation that will define the future of Ukrainian historiography. These donations will also be used to publish the multi-volume proceedings of the congress. Donations are tax-deductible.

Donors from the U.S. should make contributions payable to "Ukrainian Historical Association (Congress Fund)" and mail them to The Ukrainian Historical Association, P.O. Box 312, Kent, Ohio 44240. For contributions from Canada, please make your checks payable to: "Ukrainian World Foundation" with a notation for "World Scholarly Council/Congress" and mail to Ukrainian World Congress, 145 Evans Ave., No. 207, Toronto, ON, M8Z 5X8.

Prof. Lubomyr Wynar is co-chair of the third International Congress of Ukrainian Historians.

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