Maria Donska (University of Graz, Austria) delivered a lecture on contemporary Ukrainian poetry in the context of decolonization, titled “Why Didn’t We Learn These Poems?”
Focusing on poetic works produced since 2014, Donska explored how key concepts from postcolonial theory—such as agency, subjectivity, othering, and visibility—manifest in recent Ukrainian poetry. Her analysis extended beyond the texts themselves to include poetic practices and their potential role in fostering resilience during wartime.
The lecture presented both completed research, some of which is soon to be published, and ongoing work connected to a new project funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, scheduled to begin in December 2025. Donska emphasized the power of poetry not only as artistic expression but as a form of cultural resistance and reimagining in the face of historical and present-day imperial structures.