Ukraine has dominated international headlines for a year since the outbreak of the country’s latest political drama - the “Euromaidan” revolution - and the ensuing conflict with Russia over Crimea and Donbas separatism. In this highly charged context, names and ideas from more than a millennium of Ukrainian and Russian history are deployed to inflame passions and shape outcomes on all sides. But what do notions of “East” and “West” actually mean to Ukrainians? What are their origins? And are these dividing lines even real, or do they mask other, more complex challenges for this still unconsolidated post-Soviet society? In two extended lectures, followed by lively discussion sessions, Prof. Rojansky will introduce the historical building blocks for deeper understanding of Ukraine and its neighborhood, as well as connect the long term trends in Ukraine’s development with recent high profile events before, during and since the outbreak of conflict over the past year.