On October 31, 2024, the IX International Scientific and Practical Conference “Oral History: Cognitive-Documentary Potential and Public Archiving” was held in offline/online formats at the Vinnytsia Regional Universal Scientific Library named after Valentyn Otamanovsky. The conference was attended by researchers and public activists from Ukraine, Poland, the USA, Germany, and Ireland.
The conference featured presentations and reports on the theoretical, methodological, and applied issues of oral history in the context of the ongoing war. Many projects on regional, local, and ethnic history were discussed, and several publications were presented. A key feature of the meetings in Vinnytsia was the opportunity to delve into the public archiving in Ukraine.
The first panel, “Theoretical, Methodological, and Applied Problems of Oral History,” was opened by Halyna Bodnar with her report, “Oral History of the Unfinished Past in Ukraine: Opportunities and Challenges,” in which she discussed how previously established “classical” oral history practices for studying the past are often ineffective in the context of oral history during war, and how war impacts narratives about both contemporary and pre-war experiences. Oksana Ferentz presented her work on the anthropology of objects in the context of contemporary war in her report, “From Artifact to Testimony: How Objects Tell Stories of War.” Ukrainian-American director, author, and public figure Olga Onyshko shared her perspective on storytelling as a form of history-making, discussing how this method can be used to support inner strength. Svitlana Makhovska, in her report “Do No Harm: Professional Ethics of Oral History Researchers in Conditions of Ongoing War,” shared her experience documenting testimonies of civilians in the de-occupied territories of Chernihiv and Kyiv regions, addressing the challenges of communication ethics during an ongoing war.
The second panel, “Public Archival Studies: Theory, Practice, Experience,” was opened by Tetyana Pryvalko with her report, “Oral History Sources: Problems of Storage and Prospects of Archiving,” in which she focused on key issues regarding the inclusion and storage of oral history records in state archives, the preservation of oral testimonies during archiving, and related concerns. Polish researcher and public activist Alina Doboszewska, in her report “Creating a Ukrainian Public Archive of Oral Histories,” shared her experience and achievements related to the initiative of establishing public archival studies in Ukraine from 2017 to the present. Olga Koliastruk and Olena Halamai discussed the experiences and prospects of public archival studies in the memorial culture of modern Poland, including grassroots initiatives supported by state and local authorities, and the challenges of implementing similar practices in Ukraine. Grassroots public archivalism demonstrates that there are no insignificant details or stories to be overlooked; it preserves an undistorted memory and fosters understanding and respect for others’ experiences.
Participants in the panels “Oral History and the Challenges of the Russian-Ukrainian War,” “Projects on Regional, Local, Ethnic History,” and “Unfinished / Unhealed Past” in Oral History Narratives presented their own projects and findings, while discussing the challenges of research and public activity. In particular, Serhii Adamovych, drawing on testimonies of internally displaced persons from 2022–2024, spoke about the destruction of the Ukrainian educational environment in the Kherson region during the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. German historian, documentarian, and director Ulla Lachauer, in her report “What I Learned in Lithuania in 1989: The Oral History Project and Its Long-Term Impact,” addressed critical issues such as the balance between the researcher and narrator as equals, and the reawakening of old traumas. Yuliia Shelep shared her thoughts on the new challenges and (not)new opportunities in memory studies, using the oral history project “Living History” as a case example.
The conference featured a dedicated presentation platform. Anastasia Kilar presented the results of her research on perceptions of the Ukrainian warrior in her monograph “The Ukrainian Warrior: Social Status and Stereotypes of Perception (1914–2023).” Kateryna Lytvyn introduced the bilingual publication “Chernihiv During the War – 2022: Voices of Living Witnesses” (2024), which includes 24 interviews with residents of the Chernihiv region who survived the Russian occupation in the spring of 2022.
Thanks to the initiative and tireless efforts of the library team, the event once again created an important space for presenting research findings and addressing key issues for researchers and public activists in the field of oral history, both from Ukraine and abroad. Such conferences are essential for colleagues working in the same field to meet, exchange knowledge, and learn from each other.
You can find the conference program here.