Blog
Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute
HUSI 2026 | June 22–August 7
Read articles by Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute students!
HUSI Blog
30 Years of Ukrainian Independence
On August 24, 2021, Ukraine celebrates the 30-year anniversary of its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. This year's Independence Day remains particularly poignant as Ukraine continues to struggle against Russian aggression and the illegal...
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Heart of Darkness in the Museum of Abandoned Secrets: Serhiy Synhayivsky’s novel The Road to Asmara (2016)
by Yuliya Kazanova This blog post focuses on one of the most underestimated novels in contemporary Ukrainian literature of recent years – The Road to Asmara by Serhiy Synhayivsky, which Vitaly Chernetsky discussed in his talk for the Harvard Ukrainian...
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Black Soil: A Short Story
by Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 2021 I started this piece a while ago, but the words refused to form. It laid untouched for more than two years; I lacked inspiration, or so I liked to think. In reality, though, I lacked the courage to step into the shoes of...
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Ukrainian Language: A Gateway to Understanding Ukrainian Culture and Identity
by Lauren Clemens As a new student of Ukrainian, I began this course with the preconception that it was going to be heavily language and grammar focused with culture on a secondary tier. Prof. Volodymyr Dibrova’s course, Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge...
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Resources and Inspiration: How Studying at HUSI has Contributed to My Ongoing Research Project
by Daria Glazkova, 2021 Among other reasons, my motivation to join HUSI 2021 was to expand my knowledge of Ukrainian history in preparation for the research project I will be working on over the next academic year. I am currently pursuing my MA in...
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Learning to Read - and Love - Ukrainian Literature
by Anna Isaieva, HUSI 2021 “Ukr.lit.” or Ukrainian literature – this subject name was present in all my school planners for 7 of my ten years in school. Twice a week we had ukrlit and ukrmova (Ukrainian language class). Literature should have been my...
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Beyond Russia: Broader History Contextualizes Role of Russian and Soviet Empires
by Shawn Conroy, HUSI 2021 Dr. Serhiy Bilenky’s course Tradition and Modernity in Ukraine and HUSI’s Friday speakers have enriched my understanding of Ukrainian history, partlicularly the different roles that Ukraine has played in the visions of other...
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Ukrainian Language Opens Paths for Opera Studies
by César Moreno, HUSI 2021 I took the course “Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge” at the Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute to explore and develop a deep insight into the Ukrainian language. My aims have been fulfilled. The course has a wide spectrum of...
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"Ukraine: A Country of Emerging Technological Innovation"
by Andrii Smytsniuk, HUSI 2020 Ukraine is often seen by the international community as a country of Chornobyl (Chernobyl), political instability, corruption, fertile soil, and agriculture. What Ukraine is not seen as is a country of innovation. On...
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"HUSI – A Summer Experience Like No Other"
by Oleksandr Zavalov, HUSI 2020 My father always told me that every year on September 1, students in middle school had to write an essay reflecting on their experience during the summer. The typical experience of many students was visiting their...
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