Eleonora Narvselius (Lund University, Sweden) delivered a lecture on Ukrainian migrants reflecting on their role as subjects of history in the wake of the full-scale Russian aggression.
When we think about displaced people, we often focus on their immediate needs: food, shelter, and survival. But resilience goes far beyond meeting material needs. Research shows that finding meaning in life, reconnecting with personal and cultural histories, and rebuilding community ties are just as crucial. Unfortunately, these deeper aspects of coping are often underestimated. This presentation explores the experiences of Ukrainians living under the Temporary Protection Directive, who are often perceived as disconnected from their history and culture. Drawing on ten focus groups and fifteen individual interviews conducted in 2023 and 2024 with Ukrainian migrants in Wroclaw – a Polish city with a significant Ukrainian population – the talk will reveal how these newcomers are striving to reinscribe their lives into broader historical contexts. In doing so, they revisit their personal and collective pasts, seeking not only to understand their present but also to shape their future.