The Five Colleges have long been a home for students, artists, and scholars who are from and who study Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. We have welcomed everyone from young, inquisitive minds wishing to know more about these regions to dissidents and exiles who were fated to never return to them. Our community has always sought to apply its knowledge, curiosity, and love for the cultures and peoples of these spaces such that the world might become a better place–a better home–for all.
The invasion of the sovereign nation Ukraine by the Russian Federation represents the antithesis of these values. We are outraged by the violence that Vladimir Putin has inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. We unequivocally condemn his act of war, and categorically reject the malicious distortions of history by which he seeks to justify it. We stand strong with all of those who resist it—from those in Ukraine who fight for their freedom, to the Russian citizens who risk losing theirs by engaging in anti-war protest. Our thoughts remain with the people and democratically elected leaders of Ukraine, and with everyone in the Pioneer Valley who stands to lose friends and family in this senseless conflict. No to war! Ні війні! Нет войне!
Organizations working to support Ukrainian studies and scientists:
For up-to-date information (News Roundup), stories from the ground (Local Voices) and background (FAQS) on the current war in Ukraine, see the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Two other organizations also support Ukrainian studies, scholarship and scientists: the American Association for Ukrainian Studies, and the Shevchenko Society.
Sign a petition
Sign the Shevchenko Scientific Society Join Statement on the War
To get involved, volunteer, donate, join protests, and/or follow the situation:
Join the UMass Russian Language and Culture Facebook group for up-to-date announcements and more information on events and activities.
News and Events on the War in Ukraine
Tuesday, April 12, 2022, noon: This roundtable centers the voices and experiences of ethnographers of Ukraine. The panelists will provide insights on the current war based on their own research, and reflect on what kinds of ethnographic interventions are possible in this context.
Why do autocrats bother to use the law? The simple answer: It works.
March 31, 2022, 5–6:30 p.m.: The ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia has raised many questions and concerns, including those around cybersecurity, information warfare, and propaganda. How is the situation playing out online?
March 22, 2022, 7:30–8:30 p.m.: A panel of UMass students reflect on the war.
March 10, 2022, 10:30 a.m.–noon: This panel brings together a group of leading and emerging anthropologists who work in Ukraine and Russia to problematize and push past these frames for thinking about this war, and explore the deeper historical and political context within which these events are unfolding.
March 03, 2022, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.: Join the UMass Amherst College of Social and Behavioral Sciences for a discussion around the evolving situation in Ukraine, where panelists, including history professor Audrey Altstadt, will share their perspectives and answer questions from the audience.