XI Drynov Readings: ''Ukraine and its neighbours: Problems of Ethnogenesis, Nation-Building, and International Relations in Central and Eastern Europe (from the Middle Ages to the Era of Globalization)"

On November 14–15, 2024, the XI Drynov Readings took place in Sofia ''Ukraine and Its Neighbors: Problems of Ethnogenesis, Nation-Building, and International Relations in Central and Eastern Europe (from the Middle Ages to the Era of Globalization)."

For the first time, this international academic forum, held since 1988 at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, took place in the homeland of Professor Marin Drynov.

The event was co-organized by eight academic institutions of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Karazin University, and the Ukrainian Committee of Slavists, with financial support from the Center for Advanced Studies in Sofia (CAS), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Institute of Historical Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The conference opened on November 14 at the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with welcoming remarks from Professor Daniel Vachkov, Director of the Institute of Historical Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who also read a message from the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academician Julian Revalski.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria, Olesia Ilashchuk, also addressed the participants, highlighting the scientific and political relevance of the topics, which brought together over 140 researchers, primarily from Ukraine and Bulgaria, as well as scholars from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

At the first plenary session, speeches were delivered by Vil Bakirov, Advisor to the Rector of Karazin University and Academician; Professor Mykhailo Stanchev, Head of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of Karazin University and a Foreign Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Natalia Stishova, Director of the M. T. Rylsky Institute of Art Studies, Folklore, and Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; and Irena Mykhailova, Coordinator of the "Support for Ukrainian Scholars" scholarship program at the Center for Advanced Studies in Sofia.

Three keynote presentations followed: "An 'Inconvenient Nation': The Ukrainian Challenge to Western Historiography" by Professor Volodymyr Kravchenko of the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada); "The Policies of the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Ukrainian Question After the End of World War I" by Associate Professor Inna Manasieva of the Institute of Historical Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; and "Ukraine's Struggle Against Russian Aggression to Preserve National Statehood and Identity and the Role of the International Community" by Stepan Vidnyanskyi, Head of a Department at the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The conference continued in five thematic sections:

1. "Slavs, Rus, and Their Neighbors in the Middle Ages: Issues of Religious, Ethnic, and Political Identity"
2. "'Cossack Nation' at the Crossroads: The Early Modern Ukrainian State in the Web of the Tsardom of Moscow and the Russian Empire"
3. "Nation-Building in the Imperial Era: The Struggle of 'National Projects' in the European Context (Late 18th – Early 20th Century)"
4. "National Liberation Struggles of 1917–1921 and the Soviet 'Friendship of Nations' Project: Implications for Ukraine"
5. "The Revival of National Statehood and the Formation of a Political Nation: Ukraine in the International System from the Late 20th to the First Quarter of the 21st Century."

The XI Drinov Readings also featured two roundtable discussions. The first brought together 20 researchers to discuss "European Mobility of National Minorities and New Diasporas: Current Status and Development Perspectives," while the second focused on "Divergent and Convergent Phenomena in Slavic Languages: Historical Background and Current State."

At the second plenary session, Bulgarian and Ukrainian scholars presented several philological and historical projects. Among the speakers was Andrii Domanovskyi, a former associate professor of Karazin University’s Departments of Ancient and Medieval History and Ukrainian Studies, now serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He introduced his book "The Ukrainian Multifrontier: A New Framework for Ukrainian History (Neolithic to Early 20th Century)," recently published by Kharkiv-based Fabula.

The new head of Karazin University's Drinov Center for Bulgarian and Balkan Studies, Professor Dmytro Mykolenko, was also introduced. He presented a new project, the "Center of Excellence — Eastern Ukrainian Center of European Studies" (EAUCES 10176972).

The second plenary session concluded with reports from section leaders and roundtable moderators on their discussions.

Most of the presentations from the XI Drinov Readings will form the basis of the 17th and 18th volumes of the "Drynov Collection" for 2024 and 2025. The international academic conference was exceptionally successful, considering its hybrid format and the ongoing war in Ukraine, leaving a significant mark on the history of Ukrainian-Bulgarian scientific collaboration.