Roundtable Discussion: Freedom as an Identity Marker in Central and Eastern Europe: Lessons from Ukraine and Beyond
13 July 2026, 4:00 p.m. | Hybrid format | Language: English | What role does freedom play in shaping Ukraine's identity? How has Russia's full-scale invasion transformed Ukrainians' understanding of themselves? Discussion with Andrij Ljubka, Marko Martin and Dr. Oksana Mikheieva.
These questions will be explored in the public discussion ‘Freedom as an Identity Marker in Central and Eastern Europe: Lessons from Ukraine and Beyond’ on Monday, 13 July 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Europa-Universität Viadrina. The discussion brings together Marko Martin, German writer and publicist; Andrij Ljubka, award-winning Ukrainian writer and essayist (joining online); and Dr. Oksana Mikheieva, Ukrainian sociologist and historian. The event will be moderated by Dr. Susann Worschech (Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder)–Berlin, KIU).
The discussion concludes this year's Ukraine Lecture Series, Nationalities, Minorities and Identity: (Re)Configuring Ukraine? It will examine how Ukrainian identity has evolved under the conditions of Russia's full-scale invasion, both within Ukraine and in international perceptions. At the same time, the conversation will explore whether freedom can become a defining element of collective identity and what the Ukrainian experience reveals about democratic engagement and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe.
Drawing on his 2025 book The Other Side of War: Literary Observations and his own experience as a volunteer, Andrij Ljubka will reflect on how more than four years of war and civic engagement have transformed Ukrainian society.
Marko Martin, whose essays focus on freedom, dissent, and democratic responsibility, will discuss the legacy of Eastern European dissidents and reflect on how critical and politically engaged thinking has evolved in Germany in light of Ukraine's struggle for freedom.
Based on years of research with internally displaced persons and people living under occupation, Dr. Oksana Mikheieva will examine how war, displacement, and occupation shape understandings of identity and freedom in contemporary Ukraine.
Freedom as an Identity Marker in Central and Eastern Europe: Lessons from Ukraine and Beyond
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