Course co-directors: Oleksii Chebotarov (University of Oslo / University of St. Gallen) and Anna Olenenko (Khortytsia National Academy / University of Alberta)
This course provides a historical exploration of Ukraine’s environment, examining it through the lenses of long-term human–environment relations, ecological transformation. While contemporary discussions often focus on ecocide and environmental damage resulting from the Russo-Ukrainian war, this course contextualises these issues within broader historical processes, from imperial resource extraction and Soviet industrialisation to post-Soviet environmental governance.
Students will engage with important themes in environmental history, including landscape and watercape transformation, agriculture and land use, hydrological projects, forest and steppe ecologies, and urban environmental change. A particular focus will be given to the impact of conflicts and colonial legacies on Ukraine’s ecological past.
Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship and historical case studies, the course encourages critical reflection on how Ukraine’s environmental history can inform present-day ecological agenda, challenges and recovery. The course is designed for students of humanities, social sciences, and environmental studies who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Ukraine’s environment within a temporal and geopolitical context.