Between Empire and Nation: Ukraine, 1772

The focus of this 3000-level seminar is on the imperial experience of Ukraine and complex relations between tradition and modernity. Through a rigorous interdisciplinary study of Ukraine’s multiethnic society during the long 19th century, students will become more familiar with the process of nation-building in eastern Europe. When the powers of Europe were at their prime, present-day Ukraine was divided between the Austrian and Russian empires. Despite being subjected to different and conflicting power models during this time, Ukraine was not only imagined as a distinct entity with a unique culture and history but was also realized as a set of social and political institutions. By the end of the semester, students will deepen their understanding of such universal topics as imperial expansionism; colonialism/anticolonialism; antisemitism; the central role of cities and urbanization; the rise of nationalism; multiethnic society; and why empires fall, among others. By engaging with a range of political, literary and visual sources, students will gain both cultural sensitivity and methodological skills in the areas of film and literary criticism, memory studies, and historiography of the Russian and Habsburg empires. The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.