Date: November 25, 2025, 2:15 p.m.

Location: Landshuter Str. 4, Room 017, Regensburg, 93047

Speakers: Olha Martyniuk (Denkraum Ukraine / Think Space Ukraine, University of Regensburg), Natali Stegmann (University of Regensburg)

Organizers: University of Regensburg, “Denkraum Ukraine,” sponsored by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA), Graduate School for East and Southeast European Studies, Center for Remembrance Culture, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), Regensburg 

Language: German

The book presentation is part of the “HOT OFF THE PRESS” series of events organized by the Graduate School for East and Southeast European Studies in Regensburg, which aims to promote the latest book publications in the field of East and Southeast European studies. 

Heroes of a country that no longer exists: 

The Transformation of the Commemoration of Fallen Soviet Soldiers and Veterans of World War II at the Local Level in Ukraine

The book examines Ukrainian memory culture since independence in 1991, focusing on Soviet soldiers who fought in World War II. The main question it explores is how the history of World War II can be reinterpreted and woven into a broader narrative of Ukraine. The project looks at the local level, exploring how local authorities, community initiatives, and cultural institutions shape the way fallen Soviet soldiers and World War II veterans are remembered. The forms of remembrance include exhibitions, monuments, street names, and events. By examining these elements, the book offers insights into Ukrainian memory culture and its evolution, particularly in relation to national identity.

Olha Martyniuk

Dr. Olha Martyniuk received her PhD in history from the University of Regensburg in 2024. She is the coordinator of the Center for Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies “Denkraum Ukraine” / “Think Space Ukraine”. From 2020 to 2024, she was a DAAD scholarship holder at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg. Prior to that, she completed voluntary service at the Buchenwald Memorial and worked for several Ukrainian NGOs in Kyiv. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in political science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Her research focuses on memory culture and the handling of Soviet and cultural heritage in Eastern Europe, particularly in relation to the history of World War II.

Photo: Julia Dragan