Culture and Memory in the Ukrainian Community Through Generations:  Past and Present 

Community Roundtable in Commemoration of the Holodomor 

Organized by the Ukrainian Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand and Association of Ukrainians in Victoria 

12 November 2025, 6:30 – 8 PM , Ukrainian House, 3-11 Russell St, Essendon 

This event will feature two presentations followed by an audience Q&A session:  

Solidarity Across Oceans: Sharing Collections and Building Connections in Ukraine 

Speakers: Kiera Brew Kurec, Deanna Ramsey, and Yana Ostapenko 

In June 2025, Kiera Brew Kurec, Deanna Ramsey, and Yana Ostapenko presented their panel Solidarity Across Oceans: Collective Responsibility and Reimagining Ukrainian Connections in the Context of Australia at the RUTA Conference held in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Building on their presentations, which explored working with Ukrainian collections in Melbourne, Kiera and Deanna will reflect on sharing this ongoing work within a broader context, and the conversations and connections formed during their month in Ukraine. 

Oral History about the Holodomor in the Ukrainian Community 

Speakers: Iryna Skubii, Marko Pavlyshyn, Yana Ostapenko, and Olha Shmihelska-Kozuliak 

To commemorate the memory of the Holodomor, the second talk will explore how memories of the 1932–1933 famine in Ukraine have been transmitted through generations within the Ukrainian community. The presentation is based on the project “Oral History of the Ukrainian Community in Australia Through the Memory of the Descendants,” funded by the Ukrainian Studies Support Fund and led by Dr Iryna Skubii (University of Melbourne) in collaboration with Prof. Marko Pavlyshyn, Dr Yana Ostapenko, and Dr Olha Shmihelska-Kozuliak. Community members are warmly invited to join the conversation and share their family stories about this and other Soviet famines.