Participants

Discussion

This round table gathers Ukrainian researchers to explore the complexities of representing Ukrainian perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine war and related historical and epistemological issues. While centering Ukrainian voices is essential, there is a need to avoid oversimplifying the diversity of experiences within Ukraine, which reflect multiple, sometimes competing, narratives among affected communities. The discussion will also address epistemic injustices in Western knowledge production, particularly the marginalization of Ukrainian voices in the historical study of the Soviet human rights movement, and how certain narratives are privileged in academia. Additionally, we will examine the challenges of applying Western liberal language policy standards to Ukrainian policies, focusing on the 2022 draft Bill 7633, which proposes restrictions on Russian-language sources in Ukrainian education and research. This conversation will assess the limitations of Western frameworks in capturing Ukraine’s unique sociopolitical and historical contexts, underscoring the ethical and epistemic obligations to represent Ukrainian experiences authentically in international discourse.