Ten years ago, Russia's annexation of Crimea set in motion a series of events that culminated in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Over the past decade, the Russian occupation has profoundly altered Crimea's demographic, cultural, infrastructural, political, economic and environmental landscape. Scholars and journalists have found it difficult to document and analyze these changes. As Crimea and the Black Sea gain prominence as critical arenas of warfare and commerce, it is imperative to address the complex and sensitive issues related to Crimea's past, present, and future. This conference invited scholars to examine Crimea's past and present, focusing on settler colonialism, competing mythologies and political claims, materiality and everyday life under occupation, and the methodological challenges of studying Crimea. The conference highlighted issues of de-occupation, decolonization and reintegration as different actors envision Crimea's future. By bringing together distinguished experts from different disciplines, this IWM conference initiated a critical discussion on a crucial but understudied topic.
Day 1 – Tuesday, 19 November
Registration, Tea, and Coffee 09:00 – 09:30
Opening 09:30 – 09:45
Panel I 09:45 – 11:15
Histories of Crimea: From Which Perspectives and How Shall We Study and Teach Crimea?
Chair: Mariia Shynkarenko (IWM Vienna)
Rory Finnin (University of Cambridge)
Kerstin Jobst (University of Vienna)
Martin-Oleksandr Kisly (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy)
Coffee break 11:15 – 11:45
Panel II 11:45 – 13:15
Rethinking the 1990s: Post-communism or Neo-Colonialism?
Chair: Ottilie Manegold (IWM Vienna)
Andrew Wilson (University College London)
Olena Sobolieva (University of Basel/ Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)
Milana Nikolko (Carleton University)
Lunch 13:15 – 14:15
Panel III 14:15 – 16:00
Crimea Under Occupation: Transformations and Everyday
Chair: Mariia Shynkarenko (IWM Vienna)
Natalia Volvach (Stokholm University)
Filiz Tutku Aydin (Social Sciences University of Ankara)
Elmira Muratova (European Center for Minority Issues)
Public Lecture by Rory Finnin 18:00
Practical Past: Visions of the Early Modern Era in the Ukrainian-Crimean Tatar Encounter
Day 2 – Wednesday, 20 November
Tea and Coffee 09:30 – 10:00
Panel I 10:00 – 11:30
De-occupation, Reintegration, and Decolonization
Chair: Elmira Muratova (European Center for Minority Issues)
Martin Oleksandr-Kisly (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy)
Greta Uehling (University of Michigan)
Suleiman Mamutov (UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous People)
Gayana Yuksel (Mejlis/Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)
Coffee break 11:30 – 12:00
Roundtable 12:00 – 13:30
Studying Crimea Under Occupation and During Wartime
Chair: Mariia Shynkarenko (IWM Vienna)
Natalia Volvach (Stokholm University)
Greta Uehling (University of Michigan)
Elmira Muratova (European Center for Minority Issues)
Filiz Tutku Aydin (Social Sciences University of Ankara)
Olena Sobolieva (University of Basel/Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)
Concluding Remarks 13:30 – 14:00
