P-R.Mahochiy and Y.Petrovsky-Shtern lead the lecture “Why the multinational approach is so important near the historical past of Ukraine?” on 29th May in the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute, they are also the authors of the book “Jewries and Ukrainians: millennium of coexistence”.
At the same time the lecture has become the presentation of the second edition of the book. It was dedicated to such types of questions that were not always fully and correctly illuminated on the pages of historical editions, and there are always certain stereotypes for both in parts of ethnic Ukrainians and among separate groups of Jewries. A book is written for a wide public, therefore the form of giving information is rather witty than academic. Thus trying not to step back from historical truth, and both are famous historians (P-R.Mahochiy is well known ukrainianist , the manager of Ukrainians department of Toronto university, Y.Petrovsky-Shtern is a professor of the north-west university in Chicago, specialized on history of Jewries), the product of their collaboration is not only interesting, but also full of new information for not a specialist. Everyone will find for himself something unexpected, because authors tell not about parallel lines on the history of both population, but about the general development and cross-couplings in different spheres of their life, economy, book-printing, architecture and art, literature and many others.
P-R.Mahochiy and Y.Petrovsky-Shtern were talking with the students and teachers of the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute about coexistence of Ukrainians and Jewries, and also about the myth of “anti-semitic Ukraine”. And about how the idea of creation of edition, that combines in itself parts of thematic encyclopedia, textbook and scientific essay, and in what way the authors from Toronto and Chicago made their idea came to life. According to Y.Petrovsky-Shtern, the hardest was part about history which has the biggest volume in the book. And it is not a surprise that some historical events have completely different interpretations, so that is why there are so many stereotypes about our nations that are still alive. After introductory remarks the topic of their discussion was the history of appearance the Jewries population on the territory of Ukraine, some demographic questions, historical parallels and crossings and cultural cooperation between both nations. Some questions were discussed with auditory. By the program it has to be a discussion, but as the information was new and sometimes unexpectedly for students it was a session of question-answers.
At the end P-R.Mahochiy and Y.Petrovsky-Shtern signed all books that was free for everybody wishing, they were handed out by the representatives of Canadian Fund “Ukrainian Jewish Encounter”, that were organizers of this lecture-presentation together with the department of history of faculty of sociology and right.
On the photo: P-R.Mahochiy.