Specialized Literary Seminar I - Ukrainian Literature of Contemporary War: Texts and Contexts 3222-32ULWW5K-N

In this course, we will deepen our knowledge of a field that is most often treated as a subdiscipline of literary studies and is linked to the history and theory of literature in the study of war trauma, both in individuals and in Ukrainian and European societies. We will attempt to interpret selected texts from recent Ukrainian literature as manifestations of the human experience of war, as a source of understanding the pain, the transformation of the world, and the loss of life and home, as well as a reflection on the value of freedom and human dignity.
Analyzing specific works in the context of theoretical texts (by T. Snyder, S. Plochii, Y. Polishchuk, and others), we will highlight the mechanisms governing human behavior and the ways in which the world is shaped before the challenge of war. A crucial aspect of this current discipline is the question of language as an existential category. The language through which contemporary authors create their truth about reality, about the times in which they (and we) happen to live.

Student workload
30 hours in the classroom
15 hours of preparation for classes
15 hours preparation for final exam

Total 2 ECTS

Course coordinators

Oksana Pukhonska

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Skills in analyzing and interpreting literary and cultural texts.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student:
S2_W02 has an advanced knowledge and understanding of the terminology and methodology of Ukrainian studies in the field of literature from the earliest times to the present.
S2_W03 has an advanced knowledge and understanding of the connections between literary studies and their connections with other academic disciplines.
S2_W07 has an advanced knowledge and understanding of the history of Ukrainian literature from the earliest times to the present.
S2_U02 is able to use theoretical approaches specific to Ukrainian literary studies.
S2_U03 is able to search for, critically analyze, evaluate, select, and utilize information on Ukrainian literature from the earliest times to the present.
S2_U04 is able to use theoretical approaches specific to Ukrainian literary studies. S2_U06 is able to formulate and solve a research task in the field of Ukrainian literary studies. S2_K01 is ready to critically evaluate his or her knowledge and scholarly texts in the field of literary studies. S2_K03 is ready to adhere to ethical principles, including the use of other people's scholarly achievements, particularly when preparing a bachelor's thesis in the field of literary studies.

Assessment criteria

Course credit requirements:
- class attendance
- preparation for classes
- final test

Assessment components:
- continuous, formative assessment (monitoring ongoing preparation) – 50%
- final test – 50%

Assessment criteria for the assessment test in percentages:
9% - 100% - 5! (very good grade with an exclamation point)
96% - 98% - 5 (very good grade)
87% - 95% - 4+ (good plus grade)
78% - 86% - 4 (good grade)
69% - 77% - 3+ (satisfactory plus grade)
60% - 68% - 3 (satisfactory grade)

Students are allowed two unexcused absences; each additional absence requires an excuse. The method of grading classes from which a student was absent is determined by the instructor. Exceeding 50% of the class attendance, both excused and unexcused, may result in failing the course.

If a student fails the final class of the semester, they are entitled to receive a credit and a final grade under the same conditions for both the initial and the make-up session.

Bibliography

Hundorova T. Tranzytna kultura i postkolonialna travma. Kyiv : Vikhola, 2024.
Domanska E. Istoriia ta suchasna humanitarystyka: doslidzhennia z teorii znannia pro mynule / per. z polsk. Ta anhl.. V. Sklokina. Kyiv : Nika-Tsentr, 2012.
Dotsenko V. V.: Sotsialno-psykholohichni naslidky perebuvannia v poloni. Psykholohichni ta pedahohichni problemy profesiinoi osvity ta patriotychnoho vykhovannia personalu systemy MVS Ukrainy : materialy Vseukr. nauk.-prakt. konf., m. Vinnytsia, 29 berez. 2024 r. Kharkiv 2024, 285–287.
Ivanenko S.: Spetsialna propahanda Rosii na okupovanykh terytoriiakh Skhodu Ukrainy (2014-2018 rr.). Voienno-istorychnyi visnyk 3(49), 2023, 5-13.
Istoriia Ukrainskoi literatury u 12 tomakh. Tom 12 Literatura pislia 1991 roku. Kyiv: “Naukova dumka”, 2024. 1008 s.
Pakhlovska O. «Suproty upyriv mynuloho»: Holodomor i formuvannia istorychnoi pamiati v ukrainskii, polskii ta rosiiskii kulturakh Pamięć i miejsce. Doświadczenie przeszłości na pograniczu / Pod red. Dominiky Słaszczyk i Anny Szymańskiej. Chełm : Państwowa wyższa szkoła zawodowa w Chełmie, 2008. S. 13-49.
Polishchuk Ya. O. Sim pohliadiv na viinu. Kyiv : Dukh i Litera, 2025.
Polishchuk Ya. Poshuky skhidnoi Yevropy: tini mynuloho, mirazhi maibutnoho. Chernivtsi : Knyhy-KhKhI, 2020.
Polishchuk Ya. Reaktyvnist literatury. Kyiv : Akademvydav, 2016.
Pukhonska O. VID ISTORII DO DONBASU: IDENTYChNISNYI PROSTIR VIINY V ROMANI TAMARY HORIKhA ZERNIa «DOTsIa». Zakarpatski filolohichni Studii. №15, 2021 S. 207-212
Pukhonska O. E(A)fektyvna identychnist:literaturni konteksty viiny.
Pukhonska O. Poza mezhamy boiu. Dyskurs viiny u suchasnii literaturi. Brustury: Dyskursus, 2022.
Uliura H. Pysaty viinu. Kyiv: Tempora, 2023.
Kolk van der B. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York City: Viking Press, 2014. 464 p.
Ratcliffe M. Trauma, Language, and Trust. Empathy, Intersubjectivity, and the Social World: The Continued Relevance of Phenomenology. Essays in Honour of Dermot Moran. Edited by Anna Bortolan and Elisa Magrì. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2022. Pp. 323-342. URL: file:///C:/Users/Asus/Downloads/TraumaJLanguageJandTrustFINAL.pdf (дата звернення: 16.06.2025)

Notes

Term 2026Z:

If it is not possible to conduct classes in person, classes will be held using distance communication tools recommended by the University of Warsaw (Google Meet).