Berkley Center

Under the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, Ukraine faced forms of internal colonization aimed at suppressing autonomy not only through political governance and economic extraction, but also through the regulation of religious life. Post-World War II decolonization movements and postcolonial theory offer a framework for understanding Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to protect its independence under sustained pressure from Russia. In this lecture, Orthodox Christian theologian Cyril Hovorun will explore how Ukraine’s experience with colonialism and neocolonialism mirrors global patterns in which empires exert political, economic, cultural, and religious control over territories. Representatives from the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States of America and Georgetown's Department of Theology and Religious Studies will provide welcome remarks.

This event is hosted by the Georgetown Interfaith Society in partnership with the Georgetown University Ukrainian Society, Śantik Foundation, Oriental Studies Circle, and Georgetown University's Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Campus Ministry, and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.