Ukrainian Decolonization: the Untold Roma Stories

What is happening in Ukraine today has happened many times before.

The Ukrainian resistance against fascism and colonialism, both its Western and Russian forms, dates back generations. The history of Ukrainian Roma fighting back against the colonial invaders, whether in 1945 or 2024, are integral to this story. However, it is also one of the least known. 

Ukraine-born journalist and author Maksym Eristavi has been raising global awareness about the legacy of Russian colonialism for over a decade. His main message: most Russian invasions throughout history are not isolated events but follow a pattern of serial colonial behavior. Together with Ukrainian wartime artists, Eristavi has recently published Russian Colonialism 101, an illustrated guide to Russian colonial invasions. Now, he invites prominent Ukrainian Roma voices to share their stories of anti-colonial resistance, how they fit the broader decolonization awakening in Ukraine, and what do they tell us about the nature and patterns of Russian imperial culture.

Speakers:

Maksym Eristavi, journalist and author 

Yanush Panchenko, Roma researcher 

Volodymyr Yakovenko, executive director of ARCA 

Nataliia Tomenko, Roma cultural heritage expert 

Organizers:

Pilecki Institute Berlin, ARCA, IST Publishing, Vitche

Place and time:

Pilecki Institure Berlin, Pariser Platz 4A, 10117 Berlin

17th May, 18:00 - 19:30

Pariser Platz 4A, 10117 Berlin

On visual Illustration by Nataliia Kozeko