On 15 June 2026, the international conference “A Post-Colonial Conflict? Russia, Imperialism, and the War against Ukraine” is taking place at the University of Vienna. The event was organised by the Austrian-Ukrainian Historical Commission in cooperation with the Karl Renner Institute and supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Ukraine Office Austria, and the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies of the University of Vienna.

While Russia’s war against Ukraine is often analysed through the lenses of security, geopolitics, and international law, the conference explored an additional and increasingly relevant perspective: the post-colonial dimension of the conflict. Participants examined whether Russia’s invasion can be understood as an attempt to restore imperial influence and maintain a sphere of domination over neighbouring nations.

The discussion will address competing historical narratives, the imperial and colonial legacies of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and the role of post-colonial theory in understanding Ukraine’s struggle for self-defence, sovereignty, and decolonisation.

The speakers included:
▪️ Volodymyr Yermolenko, President of PEN Ukraine
▪️ Olesia Isaiuk, historian at the National Museum Memorial to the Victims of Occupation Regimes in Lviv
▪️ Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at Dublin City University
▪️ Taras Kuzio, Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

The event is introduced and moderated by Gerhard Marchl (Karl Renner Institute) and Wolfgang Mueller (University of Vienna).

Bringing together scholars, historians, and public intellectuals, the conference is providing an important platform for discussing imperialism, historical memory, and Ukraine’s place in contemporary Europe. It highlights how post-colonial perspectives can deepen our understanding of the ongoing war and the broader historical processes that continue to shape the region today.