Ukraine in the Global Literary Space: A Dialogue with Philology Students

As part of the development of interuniversity cooperation and the expansion of humanitarian dialogue, a guest lecture for philology students was delivered by Natalia Horbach, Head of the Department of Ukrainian Literature at Zaporizhia National University, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor. The lecture, titled “Being the Other for the Other: Literary Representations of the Ukrainian Imagotheme,” brought together issues of literary imagology, cultural memory, and the image of Ukraine in the global artistic space.

During the lecture, Natalia Horbach focused on how perceptions of Ukraine and Ukrainians are shaped in foreign literature, as well as on the ways literary texts reflect cultural stereotypes, historical associations, and national identity. The students showed particular interest in the analysis of works such as The Royal Mirror by Vera Henriksen, The Lucifer Gospel by Tom Egeland, Inheritance by Anna Shevchenko, and Passing through Kyiv by Marcel Thiry.

The lecturer examined how Ukrainian space is represented in The Royal Mirror, how The Lucifer Gospel employs historical and cultural codes connected with Ukraine, and analyzed Inheritance through the prism of national memory and the search for identity. Particular attention was also devoted to Passing through Kyiv, where Kyiv appears as an important cultural and symbolic space within the European literary imagination.

The students had the opportunity not only to familiarize themselves with modern approaches to imagological studies, but also to see how literature shapes the international image of a country, influences the perception of culture, and becomes a tool for intercultural understanding. Considerable interest was sparked by the discussion of how representations of Ukraine are changing in the contemporary global literary context amid war, global challenges, and the rethinking of the European cultural space.

Such meetings are extremely important for students, as they create opportunities for direct communication with scholars, introduce new research methodologies, and demonstrate the relevance of contemporary literary studies. Guest lectures not only deepen professional knowledge but also foster an atmosphere of open academic dialogue, which is especially valuable for the development of гуманітарної освіти today.

Olga Kharlan, Head of the Department of Ukrainian and Foreign Literature and Comparative Literary Studies