UWC leaders to speak at ‘Chornovil Readings’

KYIV – Leaders of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) will participate in the upcoming “Chornovil Readings” on April 12. The conference is held annually in Kyiv in honor of the Soviet-era dissident Viacheslav Chornovil who advocated for Ukraine’s independence and was sentenced to several years in harsh labor camps.

This year’s theme is “Ukraine: Post-war Ukrainian Identity in the Context of Global Challenges and Opportunities.”

The event will consist of three panels: one academic and two discussion-based. UWC representatives will also join the discussion sessions.

The second panel will explore the global Ukrainian diaspora, highlighting the development of Ukrainian cultural and educational spaces around the world.

Speakers will include Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler, UWC Vice President for Southern and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye, and Lebanon; Lyuba Lyubchyk, chair of the UWC’s International Educational Coordinating Council (IECC); and Volodymyr Kogutyak, UWC Vice President for Western Europe and Association of Ukrainians in France Vice President.

The third panel will focus on Ukraine’s allies, the creation of a global support network, and the battle against Russian disinformation. 

Speakers will include Zenon Kowal, a member of the UWC Executive Committee, political adviser to the European Congress of Ukrainians and the Association of Ukrainians in Belgium, as well as former special adviser to the Embassy of Ukraine in Belgium (1992-1995), and Pavlo Sadokha, UWC Vice-President and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal.

All UWC representatives, except for Lyuba Lyubchyk, will participate online. The event will also feature prominent Ukrainian and international scholars, journalists, diplomats, military personnel, and politicians.

“The Readings serve as a platform to unite intellectuals, shape national values, and develop strategies for state-building. They contribute to spreading ideas among the public and shaping the worldview of Ukrainians,” said the event organizers.

Join us for the ninth edition of the “Chornovil Readings,” an esteemed annual academic conference held in honor of the late Viacheslav Chornovil. 

The conference brings together scholars, historians, and thought leaders to explore Ukraine’s struggle in the second half of the 20th century, the evolution of of Ukrainian national democracy, and the key milestones in the formation of modern Ukrainian statehood.

As we continue to reflect on Chornovil’s legacy, this year’s conference promises to deepen our understanding of Ukraine’s path to sovereignty and democracy through insightful presentations and discussions.

The conference was founded and is organized by Ukrainian historian and researcher of the liberation movement, Professor Vasyl Derevynskyi. Long-standing partners of the conference include the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the Institute of History of Ukraine at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, the “Smoloskyp” publishing house, and others.