Petrach Program
Annual Online Conference 2024

New Research on Ukraine: Politics, Society, War

Held April 19, 2024

The 2024 Petrach Program Annual Online Conference brought together scholars to examine how Ukraine’s political life, social dynamics, and public debates are being reshaped under conditions of crisis and full-scale war.  Across five moderated panels, the program moved from identity and values and the drivers of domestic politics to the societal challenges of war, the strategic dimensions of a prolonged conflict, and the realities of war damage and future possibilities. A core group of presenters, the Petrach Program Ukraine Studies Fellows, was joined by invited chairs, discussants, and speakers from partner institutions.

Key Themes & Discussion Topics

Identity, Values & Domestic
Politics

  • Identity and politics in crisis
  • Electoral and non-electoral participation
  • Institutions, decentralization, and subnational politics

Society, Information & Wartime Citizenship

  • Citizenship and legitimacy in wartime

  • Media, cognitive warfare, and narratives

  • Cultural memory

Strategy, Recovery & Future Scenarios

  • Nuclear deterrence and diplomacy

  • Global alignments and international constraints

  • Reconstruction, losses, and Ukraine’s global future

Panel Speakers

Identity and Politics in Crisis

Henry Hale,
George Washington University

Myroslava Lendel,
Uzhhorod National University

Elmira Muratova,
European Centre for Minority Issues

Oleg Yarosh,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Polina Sinovets,
Odessa National I.I. Mechnikov University

Chair

Gerard Toal,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Discussant

Drivers of Domestic Politics

Oleksandr Fisun,
V .N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Vitalii Lebeduik,
National University of Ostroh Academy

Vitaliy Lytvyn,
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

Uliana Movchan,
V .N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Peter Rollberg,
George Washington University

Chair

Henry Hale,
George Washington University

Discussant

Wrestling with Societal Challenges of War

Keith Darden,
American University

Viktor Stepanenko,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Yaryna Zakalska,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Yuriy Zaliznyak,
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

Michelle Kelso,
George Washington University

Chair

Sean Roberts,
George Washington University

Discussant

Key Dimensions of a Drawn-Out War

Iryna Baltaziuk,
National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture

Olena Bordilovska,
National Institute for Strategic Studies

Polina Sinovets,
Odessa National I.I. Mechnikov University

Gerard Toal,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Uliana Movchan,
V .N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Chair

Lise Howard,
Georgetown University

Discussant

War Damage and Future Possibilities

Igor Lyman,
Berdyansk State Pedagogical University

Olena Muradyan,
V .N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Janine Wedel,
George Mason University

Ruslan Zaporozhchenko,
V .N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Sharon Wolchik,
George Washington University

Chair

Robert Orttung,
George Washington University

Discussant

Publication

Petrach Annual Online Conference 2024
New Research on Ukraine: Politics, Society, War
Petrach Program on Ukraine Conference Volume
February 2025

The conference volume highlights new research presented during the Petrach Annual Online Conference 2024, which convened an esteemed group of scholars and fellows specializing in Ukrainian studies. It underscores Ukraine’s ongoing political, civic, and societal transformations amid the challenges of full-scale war and the nation’s path toward European integration and democratic resilience. The papers explore key dimensions of Ukraine’s contemporary experience, ranging from civic values in border regions, governance and institutional reforms, to wartime citizenship practices and the cultural and scientific impacts of Russia’s aggression, as well as the broader geopolitical shifts driven by the war. The collection provides critical insights into Ukraine’s political evolution, social dynamics, and global positioning, highlighting the interplay between national resilience and international solidarity. It serves as a vital scholarly contribution to understanding Ukraine’s present and envisioning its postwar future within the European and global context.

Authors: Uliana Movchan, Myroslava Lendel, Vitaliy Lytvyn, Viktor Stepanenko, Olena Bordilovska, Iryna Baltaziuk, Yuriy Zaliznyak, Igor Lyman
Edited by: Uliana Movchan and Chris Ellison

The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.

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