Nature and Environment in Eastern Europe: Imperial Scars

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine is directed, far beyond military objectives, against Ukrainian statehood and the very existence of a distinct Ukrainian nation with its own cultural sphere. Part of this warfare is the deliberate destruction of nature and habitats, intended to make living conditions unbearable for people and to rob them of future prospects. Severe long-term consequences for entire ecosystems are becoming apparent.

Extensive damage to nature and the environment as a result of industrialization and authoritarian rule is not a new phenomenon. The panel discussion will focus on historical continuities in the instrumentalization of nature and the environment by Russian and Soviet imperial rule. Like Russian warfare today, this rule, too, was marked by a willingness to accept the massive destruction of landscapes and ecosystems. Against this background, how should cases such as the blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam or the deliberate gambling with nuclear safety through attacks on nuclear facilities be placed in historical context? How does the international community view this destruction?

At the same time, when it comes to coping with war damage to nature and the environment, it is worth looking at Ukraine's earlier experiences. How did people there deal with ecological devastation in past periods? In what ways might Germany's experience with the remediation of entire landscapes in eastern Germany after reunification be helpful for Ukraine?

Guests:

• Dr. Franziska Davies, Historian, DAAD-Alumna
• Nina Direnko, Researcher and Teacher at Biosphere reserve Askania-Nova, Environmental Humanities Fellow 2026, Ukraine 
• Dr. Michael Zschiesche, Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU), Berlin

Moderation: Dr. Gesine Dornblüth, Journalist

The event is jointly organised by the Ukrainian Institute in Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

Contact: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Robert Sperfeld, Senior Program Officer East and South East Europe, sperfeld(@)boell.de