About 150 Scholars from Nine Countries Take Part in the International Research Conference “Ukraine-Europe-East”

Scholars from Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, Poland, Canada, France, USA, Azerbaijan and Nigeria take part in the International research conference “Ukraine – Europe – East: problems and prospects of modern Humanitarian Studies” dedicated to 90th anniversary of the outstanding Ukrainian scholar Yaroslav Dashkevych. The conference opened on December, 13, 2016, in the Assembly hall of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

Professor Volodymyr Melnyk, Rector of Lviv University, welcomed the participants stressing that the main aim of the conference is the restoration of historical memory and actualization of the scientific achievements of prominent Ukrainian Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych.

“Scientific heritage of Yaroslav Dashkevych is impressive – more than 1,700 articles, monographs and textbooks. His unremitting toil contributed to the establishment of Oriental Studies, which nowadays and, obviously, in the future will determine the main vectors of their development,” said Volodymyr Melnyk.

Rector briefly outlined the main issues which Yaroslav Dashkevych researched. These issues include studies of the Armenian colonies in Ukraine, the Armenian-Kipchak language, the development of the Ukrainian-Turkish relations, Turkology Studies, etc. “This incomplete list illustrates the fundamental nature and profundity of the problems that Professor Dashkevych observed and researched. Our task is to continue this work carefully, reasonably and critically, as it is extremely necessary for Humanitarian Studies,” said Volodymyr Melnyk.

Yaroslav Harasym, the Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching, also welcomed the participants noting that in the recent history of Lviv University there is a good tradition, which was founded by Yaroslav Dashkevych in 1996 – to collect humanists, historians, philologists, culturologists and specialists in Oriental Studies from different countries in order to exchange experiences and establish cooperation.

Marcos Hovhannisyan, the Primate of the Ukrainian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, focused on the importance of the creative heritage of Yaroslav Dashkevych for the Armenian people. “Scientific heritage of Yaroslav Romanovych in the aggregate is devoted to the problem of the relationship between history and society, which is an extremely important issue for the modern world. A significant portion of the Professor’s Armenology papers gives the full right to call him the founder of modern Ukrainian Armenology,” said Marcos Hovhannisyan.

Andranik Manukyan, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia to Ukraine, also welcomed the participants of the conference. The diplomat noted that despite various geopolitical troubles, the Ukrainians and Armenians saved a lot in common and the main goal of the conference is the manifestation of these common features. “It is no coincidence that we meet here, in a multiethnic Lviv, the city, which for centuries brings together different cultures and religions. The atmosphere is unique and peculiar only to this city. Lviv is the spiritual center of the Ukrainian Armenology. And, of course, we are all united in the memory of the great scholar Yaroslav Dashkevych,” said Andranik Manukyan.

Gayane Chngryan, the representative of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine, welcomed the participants on behalf of the President of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine Vilen Shatvoryan, noting a significant contribution “of a great scholar and a true friend of the Armenian people” to the development of Oriental Studies. “Thanks to his achievements, Oriental Studies experienced a real Renaissance, and the study of the history of Armenians was an additional impetus for further development.”

Roman Kushnir, the Head of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, briefly outlined the main milestones in the history of the Society and noted that in 1989 it existed only outside Ukraine. “Yaroslav Dashkevych, together with other scholars, was the first to raise the question of the resumption of the activities of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Ukraine and he became one of its first members. In addition, Yaroslav Dashkevych was the Head of the Historical-philosophical Section and the Historical Commission of the Society. He restored the Lviv Branch Department at M.Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies, National Academy of Sciences of  Ukraine, and launched a series of studies,” – said Roman Kushnir.

Meylakh Sheykht, the Director of the Faina Petryakova Scientific Center for Judaica and Jewish art, focused on the miscellaneous personality of Yaroslav Dashkevych. “Yaroslav Romanovych depicted wisdom and research talent, tolerance and a sense of the problems of modernity and the invincibility of life, which he demonstrated in the struggle with the harsh realities of the inherited stereotypes of totalitarianism and Communist terror. He struggled with issues that even today affect the minds of people, diverting them from proper steps towards strengthening Ukrainian prospects and building a successful future of the Ukrainian state”, said Meylakh Sheykht.

Serkan Acar, the Professor of Literature Faculty of the University of the Aegean, also welcomed the participants of the conference. A Turkish scholar mentioned the importance of the Yaroslav Dashkevych’s research for the development of Ukrainian and Turkish Oriental Studies, stressing that today’s leading researchers in both countries continue the work of an outstanding Professor.

Myron Kapral, the Head of the Lviv Branch Department at M.Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, expressed the congratulations, noting that “Yaroslav Dashkevych with his rich and creative heritage remains relevant and appropriate for modernity.” “He is totally a national scholar, who researched the history from the point of view of the Ukrainian perspective. He observed national interest in the true study of the most important issues of the Ukrainian history and the history of the peoples who lived on the territory of our state,” said Myron Kapral.

After the opening ceremony, the participants discussed at a plenary session cognitive-semantic approach of discourse of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Armenology studios in the scientific heritage of Yaroslav Dashkevych, geopolitical ideas and the foreign policy of Ukraine and exchanged views concerning the relevance of the Yaroslav Dashkevych’s contribution for modern Ukraine.

During December,13-14, the participants work in sections in the following directions: “Yaroslav Dashkevych in life and in bronze: scientific heritage and personality of the scholar”, “Source Studies and special historical disciplines”, “Historiography and the issues of the Ukrainian history of modern times”, “Ukraine – Armenia. Yaroslav Dashkevych – founder of the Ukrainian Armenology”, “History of Ukrainian-Turkish relations”, “Ukrainian Black Sea region: political and ethnoconfessional history”, “The Crimea: history and modernity”, “Languages and literature of Eastern countries”, “Historical, linguistic and cultural ties between Ukraine and the countries of the East”, “History, philosophy, culture and religion of East countries”.

In addition, a round table discussion will be held as a part of the conference: “Ukraine and the reintegration of the Crimea.”

The hosts of the conference are Ivan Franko National University of Lviv in cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, The Lviv Branch Department at M.Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies  and the Union of Armenians of Ukraine.