#014 - The State of Ukranian Studies with Oxana Shevela & Serhii Plokhy

In this episode of The Long View, Michael Kimmage speaks with Oxana Shevel (Tufts University) and Serhii Plokhy (Harvard University) about the history and future of Ukrainian studies.

The conversation explores how Ukrainian studies emerged in North America through the efforts of diaspora communities and scholars who sought to develop academic research on Ukraine’s language, history, and culture. The discussion also examines how Cold War scholarship often focused on Moscow, leaving Ukrainian perspectives underrepresented.

Following Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the field expanded rapidly as scholars began exploring new questions about Ukrainian identity, politics, and civil society. Shevel and Plokhy discuss how archival access, interdisciplinary approaches, and contemporary geopolitical developments are shaping the next generation of Ukrainian studies.

The episode highlights why understanding Ukraine’s history and intellectual traditions is essential for interpreting current events and the broader dynamics of Eastern Europe.