Righting a wrong: Historians challenge Russia’s claim to founding southern and eastern Ukrainian cities

Ukrainian historians say the centuries-long debate over the origins of major cities in southern and eastern Ukraine is rooted in imperial-era narratives imposed by russia. The russian Empire, they argue, laid claim to the title of the region’s “civilizing” force, insisting that urban life and culture emerged only after it seized these territories, portraying them as empty or undeveloped until its arrival.

Volodymyr Telishchak, deputy head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, raised the issue during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine. 

“A whole chapter of history tied to the Cossack era and early modern period, it was erased,” Telishchak said. “Today, the process of restoring our own history and removing narratives imposed by russia is well underway. Take Odesa, for instance, where debates over the city’s pre-catherine origins have been ongoing for quite some time.”

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news