Oksana Dovgopolova: Research & CV

Transforming the Regional Identity in Odesa in Context of Russia-Ukraine War

Research Area 1. Displacements, “Dépaysements” and Discrepancies: People, Knowledge and Practices

Professor at the Philosophy department at the Odesa І.І. Mechnikov National University, Dr Habil. in Philosophy of History, сo-founder and curator of the cultural memory platform Past / Future / Art.

Graduated from the Odesa Mechnikov National University with a degree in history, she worked further in field of Philosophy of History. She defended her candidate’s theses Tolerance in context of Spiritual Culture of Transitional Epochs in 1998 and doctoral theses and doctoral theses Metaphorical scheme of the mastered space of life: the places of Other, Alien, Rejected in 2009. on “Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History.”

The main areas of research interests: social reconciliation in the context of collective memory, Odesa image in “memory entrepreneurship” (Odesa-themed restaurants out of Odesa), the development of Odesa regional identity in time of russian full-scale invasion 2022-2023.

Experienced in higher education, she has been working in the public sphere. Since 2014, she has been participating in dialogue initiatives in Odesa; launched the public history site Hubs of History. In 2015–2018, she organized several international student schools and public history projects focusing on societal reconciliation in the context of collective memory. Since 2018, she has been a curator of public programs for art projects at the Odesa National Art Museum, the Odesa Museum of Contemporary Art, Oleksandr Bleshchunov Municipal Museum of Private Collections, and the IZOLYATSIA fund. In 2018–2019, she developed the Memory Lab experimental unit at the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.

In 2019, together with Kateryna Semenyuk, she founded the Past / Future / Art cultural memory platform which implements educational and research projects, as well as a public program of activities in order to involve the general public into working through the past. From 2022 the project continues its work with a focus on the commemoration of the Russia-Ukraine war.

CV

Current Position

  • Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University
  • Program Curator in “Past / Future / Art”

Education and degrees

  • 2009: Doctor Habilis (Doctor of Science) Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov. Title: “Metaphorical scheme of the mastered space of life: the places of Other, Alien, Rejected”
  • 1998: PhD (Candidate of Science), Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History, Odessa State Pedagogical University named after K.D.Ushinsky. Title: “Principle of Tolerance in context of Spiritual Culture of Transitional Epochs”
  • 1991 – 1996: Postgraduate courses, Philosophy, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov
  • 1986 – 1991: Diploma of Higher Education, History, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov

Appointments

  • 2019 – present: Program curator in “Past / Future / Art” memory culture platform. 2009 – present. Odessa National University, Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov
  • 2018 – 2019: “Babyn Yar” Holocaust Memorial Center, Memory Lab Curator.
    2004 – 2009: Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy of Natural Faculties, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov
  • 1998 – 2017: Associate Professor of the Department of Maritime Law, Odessa National Maritime Academy
  • 1994 – 1997: Assistant of the Department of Ancient and Medieval History, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov

Courses Taught

  • Philosophy of History, postgraduate course, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov
  • Medieval Philosophy, undergraduate course, Odessa National University named after I.I.Mechnikov

Latest projects and scholarships

  • 2022 – 2023: “Land to Return, Land to Care”, a laboratory for artistic research on war experiences. Project co-curator.
  • July-September 2021: “Trees of Memory: Roots and Runners”, the project-winner of Visualize competition (Ukrainian Institute), exhibition with the public program in Laznia contemporary art center (Gdansk, Poland). Project curator.
  • January-April 2021: “Conception of Chornobyl tragedy’s commemoration in Ukraine”, working group coordination. The project of Ukrainian Ministry of Culture.
  • August-October 2020: Curating of the Public program of the “Bruederschaft. The project on Unity”, launched by the German embassy in Ukraine (organized by The Naked Room gallery, Kyiv)
  • March-December 2018: “Rethinking the Conflicts of the Past, Thinking on Future: writing the History together”, Project coordinator (Ukraine-Belarus-Germany- Georgia-Russia, the program of cooperation of civil societies in the countries of Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany)
  • February-March 2018: Holocaust Studies for educators from Ukraine at International School for Holocaust Studies (Israel, Yad Vashem)
  • January-December 2017: “The Strategies of the Work with the different voices in urban space: Regional Jewish Studies in Odessa”, Project coordinator (program of cooperation between Odessa National University and Nadav Foundation, Israel)
  • March-December 2017: “From Group to the Person: Art as a tool of social solidarity”, Project leader (Odessa, the program of cooperation of civil societies in the countries of Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany)
  • June-December 2015: “The Culture of Reconciliation: the new historical conscience in Ukraine”, Project leader (Odessa, the program of cooperation of civil societies in the countries of Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany)

Selected Publications

  1. Dovgopolova O. Ostrożnie z rozbitymi kawałkami: przyszłość w zwierciadle przeszłości (Обережно на уламках: майбутнє в дзеркалі минулого) // supported by the British Council as part of 2022 UK/Ukraine Season of Culture “Future Reimagined” Magazyn RTV http://magazynrtv.com/wydanie-13/krytyka/ostroznie-z-
    rozbitymi-kawalkami-przyszlosc-w-zwierciadle-przeszlosci/
  2. Проєкт майбутнього «на плечах гігантів»: візія України в оптиці гідності // Людська гідність: Виклик і шлях. Збірник статей. — К.: Дух і літера, 2021. — с. 93-103.
  3. Одеса як міф у «підприємництві пам’яті» // Практики саморепрезентації міст України в індустріальну та постіндустріальну добу / заг. ред. В. Кравченко та С. Посохова. – Харків : Видавництво Точка, 2021. –с. 115-132.
  4. Оксана Довгополова: “Я зрозуміла, що ніколи не хочу повертатися в таку ситуацію, коли хтось буде визначати, які книжки мені читати, а які – ні”
    // Україна Модерна: http://uamoderna.com/jittepis-istory/oksana- dovgopolova?fbclid=IwAR2RdfBxaUYoKwhJfvn2aS4s5yIQFnKPT5VCausj uDRMt1RurseZ7Z4mOag
  5. Довгополова О. «Розриви» колективної пам’яті: проблематика виявлення та лікування // Україна модерна. – 2019, No 26, с. 141-161. (http://dx.doi.org/10.30970/uam.2019.26.1105ú
  6.  Довгополова О. Чорнобиль в просторах колективного пам’ятання в Україні: нотатки на маргінесах сучасних художніх практик // Δόξα / Doxa. 2019. Вип. 2 (32). С. 221-233.
  7. Довгополова О. «Гораздо сложнее было с живыми…»: История одного поселка на границе тектонических сдвигов цивилизаций // Stratum: В поисках сущности. Сборник статей в честь 60-летия Н. Д. Руссева. – Кишинев, 2019. – с. 21-25.
  8. Довгополова О., Дробович А. Експертний семінар з міжнародною участю «Голокост: факти, меморіалізація, уроки» (Київ, 15 листопада 2018 р.) // Голокост і сучасність. – 1 (17) 2019. – с. 163-170.
  9. Довгополова О. Мандрівний міф міста: репрезентація міфу Одеси у підприємствах пам’яті // Україна модерна, 2018: режим доступу http://uamoderna.com/demontazh- pamyati/dovhopolova-odesa-myth.
  10. Dovgopolova O. Competing Pasts in the Contemporary Ukrainian Political Project // Bordering Europe. Our Marginals: Old and New. Perspectives from Literature, Philosophy and Art. / Edited by Viorel Vizureanu, Sissel Lægreid, Oana Şerban, București : Editura Universității din București, 2018. – p. 153- 167.
  11. Dovgopolova O. Manuals on stitching time. On site of curatorial project by Lia Dostlieva and Andrii Dostliev made with the assistance of “IZOLYATSIA. Platform for Cultural Initiatives”: http://www.reconstructionofmemory.org/en/oksana-dovgopolova-manuals- on-stitching-time/
  12. Сьогодення України в дзеркалі минулого – проблеми багатошаровості // Філософія освіти. Philosophy of Education. 2022. 28 (1), с. 41-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2022-28-1-3
  13. Dovgopolova O. The Odesa Image in Odesa-Themed Restaurants // East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies. VOL. 9 NO. 2 (2022): ODESA’S MANY FRONTIERS, р. 65-92. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.21226/ewjus589)
  14. Dovgopolova O. Review of Vladislav Davidzon. From Odessa with Love: Political and Literary Essays from Post-Soviet Ukraine // East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies. VOL. 9 NO. 2 (2022): ODESA’S MANY FRONTIERS, р. 185-189. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.21226/ewjus753)

French Research Center in Humanities and Social Sciences – Prague