Deadline for Applications: February 1, 2019
Study Abroad – Spring Break 2019 – USA in Eastern Europe: Ukraine 2019
Spend Spring Break (March 04 – May 24, 2019) in Ukraine learning about its culture and place in the international community! Students will receive 3 credit hours while spending 8 days in Kyiv and Lviv exploring the country’s complex history, culture, economy, and politics.
For more information contact the Program Director, Dr. Nick Gossett (CREEES and Slavic alum) at ngossett@southalabama.edu. Check out the program here: https://southalabama-ie.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=34854
Program Overview
The history of Ukraine has been tied, for most of its history, to the history of Russia. The southern parts of Ukraine were part of numerous empires and archaeological digs have revealed the ruins of numerous structures from the past 2000+ years. Ukrainian history really begins when the Varangian (Viking) prince, Oleg of Kiev, signed a treaty with the Byzantines in 911 AD. Over its long history, Ukraine has witnessed a number of national movements that sought an independent Ukraine. Finally, in 1991, Ukraine left the Soviet Union and has since been an independent nation. In the past fifteen years, Ukraine has witnessed two major popular movements with the Orange Revolution in 2004/2005 and the recent Euromaidan Revolution in 2014. Since 2014, Ukraine and Russia have been at odds over Crimea and a few breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is a nation in transition, trying to find its identity.
This program will specifically address the history, culture, economy, and politics of Ukraine and its role within the European and International community today. It will focus on the struggle for Ukraine to find a national identity and to forge their own path despite massive amounts of pressure from external entities. Special attention will be paid to the popular political movements and revolutions in the past 40 years. Students will spend time in both Kyiv and Lviv visiting specific locations and museums as well as meeting with local scholars and experts who lived through these turbulent times in order to piece together an understanding of this often overlooked, but extremely important, part of the world.
Program Costs: The cost of the USA in Eastern Europe: Ukraine 2019 program is $2399.
Accommodations and Meals:
Accommodations for the entirety of the trip are provided in the cost of the program. Students will be housed in a centrally located hotel or hostel. Also included are all lunches and dinners while in country.
Courses:
Students will register for the following class for three (3) credit hour course:
IS 390 – A Nation in Transition: Ukraine in the Modern Era
Students not currently enrolled at USA must make application to the University of South Alabama prior to enrolling in this program. This course is part of the USA part of term schedule of courses to run March 04 – May 24, 2019.
Tentative Program Itinerary:
(Dates and schedule subject to availability upon receipt of enrollment and deposits.)
Day 1 – Monday, March 18, 2019
- Arrival in Kyiv, check-in at a hostel / hotel
- 16.30 – Tour of Kyiv
- 19.00 – Dinner
Day 2 – Tuesday, March 19, 2019
- 10.00-12.00 –
- Lecturer: Archbishop Evstratiy, Head of Media and Information Center for Kyiv Patriarchy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
- What is Orthodox Church’s role in the political agenda.
- 12.30 – 14.00 – Lunch
- 14.30-17.00 – Tour Kyiv Pechersk Monastery of Lavra.
- Lecturer: Valentyn Hrebennyk, Religious Studies Historian, the Shevchenko University.
- 18.00 – 20.30 – Dinner
Day 3 – Wednesday, March 20, 2019
- 10.00-13.00 Ukrainian Orange Revolution 2013-2014. Meeting with activists, film-makers and journalists. Roundtable discussion.
- 13.00 – 14.00 – Lunch
- 14.00 – 16.30 – Face-to face meeting with modern Ukrainian artists. Master class at a local artist’s studio or art-center.
- 16.30 – 19.00 – Viewing the Modern Art Gallery ‘Arsenal’ / Pinchuk Art Center / The Khanenko Art Museum, etc.
- 19.00 – 20.30 – Dinner
Day 4 – Thursday, March 21, 2019
- 10.00 – 12.30 – World War II Memorial Museum.
- 12.30 – 14.00 – Lunch
- 15.00 – 18.00 – Visit to Babiy Yar
- 18.00 – 20.30 – Dinner
Day 5 – Friday, March 22, 2019
- 09.00 – 14.00 – Tour of Mezhyhirya estate, the residence of former Ukrainian president V. Yanukovych, also known as “Museum of corruption”.
- 14.00 – 16.00 – lunch
- 16.00 – 20.00 – Cooking Club
Day 6 – Saturday, March 23, 2019
- Arrival to Lviv, check-in at the hotel, lunch
- 15.00 – 18.00 Lviv as living history: A guided walking tour through the most significant monuments and historical places in the city, with an emphasis on the role of different ethnic groups who have built Lviv. Including special experiences: A view of the city from the City Hall Tower, a chance to see an extraordinary collection of fire and bladed arms from various historical epochs in Arsenal Museum, as well, as you walk, visit the Museum of the Post, the Drug Store Museum, and other small but amusing museums.
- Presentation of Lviv from city officials – meet the mayor.
- 18.00 – 20.00 Dinner
Day 7 – Sunday, March 24, 2019
- 09.00– 11.00 : Museum of Repression
- 11:30 – 13:30 Ukrainian Village Museum. A close look at the Ukrainian folk culture, architecture and traditions.
- 12.30 – 14.00 – Lunch
- 14.00 – 16.00 Chocolate a-la Lviv masterclass
- Free time, departure to Kyiv
Day 8 – Monday, March 25, 2019
- Breakfast, free time
- Departure to the airport
Program Costs:
The cost of the USA in Eastern Europe: Ukraine 2019 program is $2399.
Deadline for Applications: February 1, 2019