“Fortress of the Spirit: Kherson’s Struggle for Independence”
On November 11, a curatorial session was held dedicated to the courage, resilience, and transformation of values among the residents of the Kherson region in the face of Russian aggression. Students shared personal memories, documentary evidence, and stories of Ukrainians’ heroic resistance, demonstrating the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people and their faith in victory.
At the initiative and under the guidance of Nataliia Bazylevych, Associate Professor of the Department of English Philology and World Literature, a curatorial session entitled “Fortress of the Spirit: Kherson’s Struggle for Independence” was held on November 11. The event was dedicated to the courage, resilience, and transformation of values among the residents of the Kherson region.
During the online meeting, students from Groups 202M and 251M, studying in both full-time and part-time programmes, shared their personal memories and supplemented their accounts with documentary evidence of the heroic resistance of Ukrainians against Russian aggression.
Anastasiia Chubatova presented a moving presentation entitled “24 February 2022: The Day Everything Changed.” She shared her memories of the morning of February 24, which coincided with her father's birthday, recalling the first explosions, anxious phone calls to relatives, and the shock of the first days of the full-scale invasion. She spoke about how life became divided into two distinct periods: before and after February 24.
Anastasiia Kyrychenko highlighted the situation in Oleshky and Kherson. She spoke about the complex emotions experienced by people forced to leave their homes and the overwhelming feelings associated with returning to their family homes. Anastasiia also shared her own artwork dedicated to her hometown.
Halyna Bakhmatova introduced the audience to the key ideas of her research paper, “The National Liberation Dimension of the Transformation of Personal Values in Occupied Kherson Region.” She presented collected testimonies from Kherson residents, emphasizing the importance of human values, patriotism, unity, and the remarkable acts of ordinary people who supported one another during the most difficult times.
The curatorial session served as an important reminder of the resilience of the Ukrainian people, the value of freedom, and the unwavering belief in the liberation of all Ukrainian territories.