On April 18, a landmark cultural and educational event was held at the American House in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of the academic community, government agencies, the museum sector, diplomatic institutions, and the public around the topic of preserving the identity, memory, and inviolability of the Luhansk region.

Representatives of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University also participated in the event: First Vice-Rector, Chairman of the Academic Council, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Vitalii Semenovych Kurylo; Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Svitlana Oleksandrivna Vovk; Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Nataliia Oleksandrivna Kurylo; PhD in History and Archaeology, Senior Lecturer Yevheniia Serhiivna Shevtsova. Among the guests were representatives of the US Embassy in Ukraine, the leadership of the American House in Kyiv, representatives of the Starobilsk District State Military Administration, the Markivsk Settlement Military Administration, the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, as well as the team of the Luhansk Regional Museum of Local Lore led by Director Olesia Milovanova.

The central event of the event was the chamber literary and journalistic performance “The Road to Home” by the Parasolka Suitcase Theater. Through words, music, and living stories, she revealed a deep experience of loss, forced displacement, and the search for inner support and a new home. It was a sincere performance-meeting about a home that remained in memories and one that has yet to be found. The production created a space for empathy and inner dialogue, uniting those present in a common understanding of the contemporary Ukrainian experience.

The performance featured texts by Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Ivan Svitlychny, Lina Kostenko, Vasyl Symonenko, and Serhii Zhadan, as well as authorial monologues and contemporary stories inspired by the present. The director of the performance was Olha Myronova, whose creative path is also connected with Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University.

A separate part of the event was the exhibition project “Museum in a Suitcase”, presented by the Luhansk Regional Museum of Local Lore. In her speech, Olesia Milovanova revealed the experience of evacuating museum values, losing part of the collections, and the daily struggle to preserve cultural heritage in wartime. The exhibition was a reminder that even in forced displacement, the Luhansk region retains its historical memory, dignity, and strength.

During the event, the leadership of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University had the opportunity to communicate with the guests of the event and discuss promising areas of further cooperation. In particular, a constructive dialogue was held with representatives of the US Embassy in Ukraine regarding the possibilities of developing international partnerships, implementing educational initiatives, academic mobility, and expanding professional opportunities for university graduates.

Such events are of great importance, as they contribute to the establishment of inter-institutional interaction, the consolidation of professional communities, and the affirmation of humanitarian values. In modern conditions, it is the combination of culture, education and international partnership that forms the basis for sustainable development, social stability and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Yevheniia Shevtsova
Senior Lecturer
Department of History and Archaeology