
Ukraine: The (Un)finished Second World War, Ukraine in WWII: global conflict, historical narratives, and modern “memory wars” over the “Ukrainian question”..
Course Description
What comes to your mind when you think about Ukraine’s role in the Second World War? The Red Army? Soviet propaganda films? Perhaps some fragmented stories about battles and resistance? Yet, these glimpses reveal only a fraction of Ukraine’s complex and painful wartime experience.
In this course, leading Ukrainian scholars guide you through key topics that shed light on how the Second World War unfolded for Ukraine and how its consequences are still unfolding today. Each topic highlights a unique perspective — from the global implications of the “Ukrainian question” to the “memory wars” that continue to shape both regional and global narratives.
Understanding Ukraine’s modern history and contemporary challenges requires an awareness of how the Second World War affected its people, territories, and identities. Ukraine’s experience was distinct: divided among multiple states, targeted by both Nazi and Soviet regimes, and later caught in “memory wars” that persist into the 21st century.
In addition to video lectures, the course offers carefully selected primary and secondary sources such as documents, roadmaps, and additional reading materials. Together, they will help you build a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Ukraine’s role during the Second World War and its lasting impact on the international arena.
Ukrainian scholars who developed this course from the ground up — from concept to visuals — will guide you through this complex but essential story.
Dr Oleksandr Maievskyi, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. His research focuses on the Second World War, collective memory during wartime, political propaganda, and visual communication in historical contexts. He has authored five monographs and over 90 academic publications.
Dr Tetiana Pastushenko, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of History of Ukraine (NASU), Vice-President of the International Mauthausen Committee, and Head of the Educational Laboratory of the Oral History Centre at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her research explores civilian victims in the Second World War in Ukraine, Soviet POWs, Nazi occupation, oral history, and memory studies. She currently holds the Pause Scholarship at CERCEC and previously held the Philippe Schwarze Scholarship at Heidelberg University.
Vasyl Pavlov, military historian, currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Head of the NGO Centre for Military History.
Dr Yana Prymachenko, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Her research focuses on Soviet history of the 1920s–30s, the Second World War, and memory politics in Central and Eastern Europe. She is the author and co-author of ten books and over 100 academic, encyclopedic, and journalistic articles.
Narrators:
Vitalii Pashchenko
Rachel McVey
All visuals, photographs, and video materials used in this course were obtained from publicly accessible sources and are used exclusively for educational purposes. The online course “Ukraine: The (Un)finished Second World War” was developed by the Ukrainian Institute and the online education studio EdEra.