Webinar. Language(s), Religion, and Beyond: The Multidimensional Dynamics of Identity Construction

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified the dynamics already underway shaping new conceptions of self, nation, and belonging among Ukrainians. Since 2022, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced abroad by war. Diasporic communities are more engaged than ever in Ukraine. What might be some of the sources affecting cultural politics and changing understandings of what it means to be Ukrainian going forward as a result of almost five years of armed combat with Russia?

Julia Korniichuk (University of Warsaw)

Roman Nazarenko (Ukrainian Catholic University)

Moderator: Catherine Wanner (Shevchenko Scientific Society/Penn State University)

Julia Korniichuk holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the National Pedagogical Drahomanov University in Kyiv, Ukraine. She has taught Ukrainian Culture, Religious Studies, and Religion and Politics for over a decade, first at the National Pedagogical Drahomanov University and later at the University of Warsaw. She has held several international fellowships, including at Indiana University Bloomington, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and the University of Helsinki. Her research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of religion, politics, and European integration, with a particular focus on Eastern Orthodoxy, Ukrainian culture, and decolonization. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3346-4920

Roman Nazarenko is a scholar of religion focusing on Islam and Christian–Muslim relations. He is Director of the Institute of Religion and Society at the Ukrainian Catholic University and a Senior Lecturer at the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine. Roman Nazarenko is an expert in interfaith dialogue and reconciliation. A frequent representative of Ukraine in international delegations focused on interfaith and cultural dialogue across Europe, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Tunisia, Georgia, Armenia, and other regions. A consultant, analyst, and trainer specializing in intercultural interaction and effective communication within Middle Eastern partnerships for both the business sector and government agencies. His publications include «Несподіваний іслам. Історія про Аладдіна. Те, чого ми не бачимо», «Пандемія та ренесанс світових релігій», «A Catholic Perspective on the Qur’an. In Search for a Method»

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