The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures Slavic Colloquium presents
Dr. Olesya Khromeychuk, historian and author of The Death of a Soldier Told by His Sister:
“We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain”
In her talk, Olesya Khromeychuk explores the ways in which war transforms language, literature, and those who bear witness. Analysing the case of Ukraine, and specifically Victoria Amelina’s work, and situating it in the wider discussions of the act of witnessing and representation of pain, she argues that war literature, fractured and incomplete, is not just a record of destruction but also a vital vehicle in the pursuit of justice. As such, it ensures that testimony—no matter how fragmented—continues to speak for those silenced and brings those unaffected by war in communion with those who live it.
Khromeychuk has written for The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Prospect and The New Statesman, and has delivered a TED talk on ‘What the World Can Learn From Ukraine’s Fight for Democracy’. She has taught the history of East-Central Europe at several British universities and is currently the Director of the Ukrainian Institute London.