Week 1. Introduction to Ukraine. Objectives and course description.

1. Watch The 10 Most Beautiful Places In Ukraine (8 min). Analyze the presentation. What was the author’s main purpose? Is this a typical overview for tourists? Would American cities be presented the same way? What especially surprised or impressed you? Be prepared to discuss these and similar questions. Bring your own!
2. As you watch The Ukrainian language: the heroic story of a language (17 min) think about the connection between the language of a nation and the nation’s history and culture. Why is the word “heroic” is in the title of the film? Without trying to memorize any details, think about how Ukrainian is different from other languages that you know.

Week 2. Ukraine today. The Russian World. Why language matters.

1. Watch  Why is Vladimir Putin so obsessed with Ukraine?(10 min) Highlight the main reasons for the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine. Relate the new information with what you learned from the previous class and think about the role of language in the present conflict.
2. Watch or read The Russian World (26 min)When the idea of the Russian World was created? Why is it so widely welcomed in Russia. Why it’s important to take into consideration religion when we try to understand this war?
3. Read Ukrainian Alphabet, pages 1.1 – 1.4 Why the word “alphabet” has three names in Ukrainian? Learn how the letters sound. Which letter can be called the “the true friends”, ” the false friends” and “the strangers”? Try to memorize Ukrainian letters, starting with “the true and the false friends”.
4. Listen to these short recordings a few times to get used to the sound of Ukrainian and to associate Cyrillic letters with sounds. In class we will practice reading this aloud. Vocabulary: Meeting someone

Week 3. Zelensky VS Putin: The role of a leader in history.

1. Watch My next guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelensky (44 min). What impressed you the most? How did Zelensky become a leader to be defended?
2. Watch the following clips: 2.04-7.44, 11.29-13.25, 19.36-22.45, 24.02-33.14 from the video Why Russia miscalculated in Ukraine?. Analyze and answer the following questions: Why does the author make a reference to the war in Iraq in 2003? Why would the control over media be as important as training the military? What did you learn about Putin’s personality and does it have any impact on the current situation in the world?
3. Watch Key Takeaways from Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Russia’s President. What are the highlights of the interview? According to Putin, what are Russia’s objectives in Ukraine, and how does this relate to his comments on ‘de-nazification’?
4. Repeat Ukrainian Alphabet, pages 1.1 – 1.4  and memorize Ukrainian letters. Be ready to read simple syllables in class. Listen to these short recordings a few times to get used to the sound of Ukrainian and to associate Cyrillic letters with sounds. In class we will practice reading this aloud Vocabulary: Please and thank you
5. Optional! Watch TV series that helped Zelensky to become a President of Ukraine. Servant of the people, Season 1 (Netflix)

Week 4. Vyshyvanka and the key milestones in the history of Ukraine. 

1. Watch A Brief History of Ukraine (18 min). Identify the major eras of Ukrainian history. Which one do you consider is the most important for the creation of the Ukrainian nation? Why is there a dispute over the sovereignty of Ukraine? How is this question rooted in the complex history of the region, called the breadbasket of Europe?
2. Watch Fashion Culture: Ukrainian Traditional Clothing (9 min) and read 4 Reasons Why. Which beliefs about the vyshyvanka make this item of the national costume so unique and popular even today? Why are the special patterns of embroidery used in different parts of Ukraine?
3. Listen to these short recordings a few times, repeating after the speaker. Practice reading aloud. Use new words and expressions for creating a short dialogue, be ready to present it in class. Vocabulary: Peace on Earth Translate into Ukrainian: Love is beautiful, welcome, peace on Earth

Week 5. Alphabet, christianity and the Kyivan Rus.

1. Watch Brief history of Ukraine: Kyivan Rus (7 min)  Analyze the presentation. What kind of role did the Vikings play in Ukrainian history? Be ready to discuss why Volodymyr the Great chose to convert his people and the state to Byzantine Christianity and the impact of this choice.
2. Watch Why do Eastern European countries use different alphabets?(4 min) Be ready to discuss the following questions: what role did Cyril and Methodius play in spreading the Christianity? Why is Eastern Europe is now divided between Cyrillic and Latin scripts?
3. Watch How Different are Russian and Ukrainian? (17 min) Where did the misconception that Russian and Ukrainian are the same come from? Be ready to compare the two languages and discuss why you should take language into consideration when trying to understand the reasons for the current war.
4. Listen to these short recordings a few times, repeating after the speaker Vocabulary: Days of the week. Practice reading aloud. Use new words and expressions for creating a short dialogue, be ready to present it in class.
5. Optional: Read Serhii Plokhy ” The Gates of Europe”, Chapter 5: The Keys to Kyiv, chapters 1-4 to deepen your knowledge on the discussed era.

Week 6. Controversial Cossacks. Zaporizhska Sich, the first Constitution and the Rebellion.

1. Watch Rise of the Cossacks (21 min).Be ready to discuss the following questions and bring yours. Why are Cossacks considered to be a key component in understanding Ukrainian national identity? What was the influence of Cossacks on the history and culture of neighboring (and not only) territories? How was the Zaporizhian Host organized? Can we call it the first Ukrainian democratic state?
2. Watch Pylyp Orlyk | Making history (14 min). Why Pylyp Orlyk stands out among other Ukrainian Hetmans? Be ready to discuss why “The Treaties and Resolutions of the Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Army” is considered to be one of the most important Ukrainian historical documents.
3. Watch The Khmel’nyts’ky Rebellion (19 min).What were the historical prerequisites that led to the Cossacks’ uprising in 1648?
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker. In class we will practice reading this aloud and discuss why the names of the months in Ukrainian have a unique origin and are so different from English: Vocabulary: Months of the year
5. Optional: Read Ukrainian Cossacks in paintings: History and Legend for deeper understanding of the role of Cossacks as the subject of the artist’s inspiration.
6. Optional: Read Serhii Plokhy ” The Gates of Europe”, chapters 5-8  to deepen your knowledge on the discussed era.

Week 7. Roxolana and the role of women in Ukrainian history.

1. Read Hürrem Sultan: a beloved wife or master manipulator? What did you learn about the history of Ukraine, considering the biography of Hürrem Sultan? Why was the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent called the beginning of the Sultanate of the Women?
2. Read The most inspiring women in Ukrainian history. How does the knowledge about these outstanding Ukrainian women affect your perception of Ukrainians as a distinct nation? Analyze the information and be ready to discuss the role of women in Ukrainian history. Do your research and prepare a short presentation (3-4 min) about any prominent Ukrainian woman.
3. Watch Bandura: The Traditional Ukrainian Instrument that’s also a symbol of resistance.  What interesting facts did you learn from this video? Why is bandura called a symbol of Ukrainian resistance?
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker  Vocabulary: Numbers 1-10, Vocabulary: Numbers 11-20. Be ready to say your telephone number in Ukrainian.
5. Be ready for the reading practice (syllables and short words in Cyrillic).

Week 8. Masters of the language: Taras Shevchenko and Nikolai Gogol. Ukraine in 18th -19th centuries.

1. Watch the following clip: 9.07 – 30.11 from the video Ukraine’s first war against Russia . Analyze and answer the question: what can you define as the main causes in the development of Ukrainian Cossacks? What historical events influenced the development of Ukrainian literature in the first half of the 19th century?
2. Read Taras Shevchenko, poet of Ukraine. What did you learn about his life? What are the main topics used by Shevchenko? Why Taras Shevchenko is often called The National Poet of Ukraine, The Kobzar of Ukraine?
3. Read and analyze Russia and Ukraine renew rivalry over Nikolai Gogol Do you agree with the opinion that Gogol was a tree with “the crown was in Russia but the roots were in Ukraine”?
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Numbers 10-100  Be ready to say the date, your age and telephone number in Ukrainian.
5. Watch Taras Bulba (2009) (optional) for deeper understanding of the literary heritage of Nikolai Gogol.

Week 9. The Concept of a nation. Ukrainian Anarchism and Ukrainian People’s Republic 1917-1920.

1. Watch How Ukraine became part of the USSR (27 min) and be ready to discuss the historical factors that led to the Ukraine’s accession to the USSR. Why did the Ukrainians fail to maintain the emerged independence in 1917-1920?
2. Watch Nestor Makhno making history (15 min) and be ready to discuss the role of the anarchists in developing Ukrainian national awareness. Think why a person as controversial as Nestor Makhno gained such popularity and respect among his subjects.
3. Watch The untold story of “Carol of the Bells” (11 min) What was the unique contribution of Ukraine’s most famous song to the country’s diplomatic efforts in the 1920s?
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Colors.In class we will practice reading aloud, making phrases according to the following model: color+ noun, and discuss what the colors in the Ukrainian flag represent.

Week 10. Jewish Ukraine. Culture and Tragedy from Odesa to Lviv.

1. Read The ironies of history: the Ukraine crisis through the lens of Jewish history Be ready to discuss the topic and answer the question: why does the current war in Ukraine so strongly resonate with WW II for many Jewish people?
2. Make a research about the emergence of Hasidism in Ukraine. Read War didn’t stop Hasidic pilgrims from gathering in Ukraine for the Jewish New Year and be ready to discuss how the war influenced their pilgrimage to Uman.
3. Read  Without Lviv, there would be no Pakistan. Why is the outstanding story of Muhammad Assad is important for understanding Jewish Ukraine?
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Seasons and weather. Be ready to practice reading aloud in class, and make simple phrases, using the new vocabulary.
5. Watch Fiddler on the roof (optional) for deeper understanding of the historical background of literary heritage of Sholem Aleichem.

Week 11. Linguocide, Holodomor. Ukraine in World War II.

1. Watch and be ready to discuss The Bloodlands: Ukraine in World War II (6 min). Do you agree that Ukraine was an important course of the WW II? How is this idea reflected in the current conflict with Russia.
2. As you watch How to destroy a language properly | Language repressions in Ukraine in the XX century (33 min) think about the connection between Ukrainian language and the nation’s history and culture. How do you understand the word “linguocide” and what was the chronology of Ukrainian language suppression.
3. Read and analyze the article Language, Status, and State Loyalty in Ukraine . Does the current war have a genocidal aspect to it? Which Russian narratives had a significant impact on public opinion and influenced the relationships of Ukrainians from the different parts of the country.
4. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Family relations. Be ready to practice reading aloud in class, and make simple phrases, using the new vocabulary.

Week 12. The Art and the War: Maria Prymachenko and Kazimir Malevich.

1. Watch The Revolution of the Black Square (14 min) and share your opinion about Kazimir Malevich as the revolutionary of the modern and contemporary art.
2. Watch Ukraine and art as a factor in war (7 min) What, in your opinion, makes the works of Maria Prymachenko so special and important for Ukrainians? Bring your ideas about the role of the art and the artist in the war.
3. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Family members. Be ready to practice reading aloud in class, and make simple phrases, using the new vocabulary.
4. Watch (optional) Maria Prymachenko, Part 1, Maria Prymachenko, Part 2, Maria Prymachenko, Part 3.  for deeper understanding of the historical background of the artist’s heritage.

Week 13. Chornobyl disaster and the end of the Soviet era.

1. Watch Chernobyl: The first domino in the fall of the Soviet Union (38 min). Be ready to share your opinion about the reasons, that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. What made the era of Gorbachov’s perestroika special?
2. Watch The End of the Superpower. In what ways does the documentary suggest that the collapse of the Soviet Union has continued to shape global political dynamics into the 21st century? How did the documentary portray the impact of Putin’s foreign policy decisions on Russia’s former Soviet neighbors?What insights does the documentary offer about the Russian-Ukrainian relationship prior to the 2022 invasion?
3. Listen and repeat after the speaker Vocabulary: Places in town. Be ready to practice reading aloud in class, and make simple phrases/ using the new vocabulary.
4. Watch Chernobyl, Anatoly Dyatlov’s real interview (61 min) (optional) for a deeper understanding of the causes behind the Chernobyl’s disaster.
5. Watch (optional) the HBO series “Chernobyl”.

Week 14. The price of Independence (Maidan and the War)

1. Watch (if you are not age-restricted) the documentary  Winter on fire: Ukraine’s fight for freedom (97 min). Share your ideas about the prerequisites that led to Euromaidan. Why were those protests referred this way? What is the impact of this uprising on the current war in Ukraine?
2. Listen and repeat after the speaker: Vocabulary: Occupations, Vocabulary: Professions. Be ready to practice reading aloud in class, and make simple phrases, using the new vocabulary.

Week 15. Final projects and presentations. 

1. Write an essay (1-2 pages) that examines the key historical events that have shaped Ukraine’s national identity and its relations with neighboring countries. Discuss the influence of Ukraine’s historical, cultural, and geographical features on its current geopolitical stance. Reflect on how these factors have contributed to ongoing conflicts or diplomatic relationships. Additionally, consider whether any major conflicts could have been avoided and propose potential resolutions for current tensions. Provide insights based on the material covered in class and additional scholarly resources.
2. Be ready to make a short presentation of your work, starting and ending it with the basic Ukrainian phrases that you’ve learnt, for instance: Доброго дня! Вітаю! Мене звати_________. Мені _________років/рік/роки. Я – студент/ студентка. Дякую за увагу! На все добре!