Atoms for Peace at the Time of War: Lessons from the Frontlines of Ukraine
Date and Time
Location
A lecture by Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University
Moderated by Serhiy Bilenky, HUSI Program Director at HURI, Research Associate at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), University of Alberta, and Editor-In-Chief of East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies
About the Lecture
On February 24, 2022, the first day of Russia’s all-out attack on Ukraine, armored vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. Russian occupation of the plant, which would last thirty-five days, had begun. Only the dedication and resolve of Ukrainian personnel, who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days, spared the world a new Chernobyl accident. Meanwhile, a much more dangerous situation developed at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest such facility in Europe. Following an attack there in March 2022, the Russian military remains in control. In this lecture Serhii Plokhii discusses the challenges that the Russian takeover of the nuclear sites presents to the world. We must face up to a new reality: there has already been warfare at two nuclear sites, and others are vulnerable. The lecture is based on Plokhii’s most recent book, Chernobyl Roulette (2024).
About the Speaker
Serhii Plokhii is the Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University. His interests include the intellectual, cultural, and international history of Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on Ukraine. Chernobyl Roulette: War in the Nuclear Disaster Zone is his latest book published by W.W. Norton in September 2024. His recent books include The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History (W.W. Norton, 2023); Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters (W.W. Norton, 2022); The Frontline: Essays on Ukraine's Past and Present (HURI, 2021); Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis (W. W. Norton, 2021); Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front: American Airmen behind the Soviet Lines and the Collapse of the Grand Alliance (Oxford University Press, 2019); Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe (Basic Books, 2018); and The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine (Basic Books, 2015). Serhii Plokhii's books have won numerous awards, including the Ballie Gifford Prize and the Shevchenko National Prize (2018).
This event is organized by Harvard's Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI) as part of the Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute (HUSI) Public Lecture Series.
Persons with disabilities who wish to request accommodations or who have questions about access should contact HURI Programs Manager, Megan K. Duncan Smith, at least two weeks in advance of the session.
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