After another long and brutal winter, Ukraine is stepping into spring. War has not paused, but the return of longer days and warmer light brings a familiar rhythm — a reminder that renewal is part of life, even in the hardest seasons.
As the sun returns and communities begin to gather outdoors again, there is a quiet but steady sense of hope. This month’s Razom Recommends reflects that shift. Just as spring nourishes new growth, we’re sharing events that invite connection, creativity, and renewed inspiration — opportunities to stay engaged with Ukraine’s culture, resilience, and future.
5 Mar| 6:30-8:00 PM| NYC
Signals of Being: An Evening With Writer Volodymyr Rafeyenko
Please join the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute for an evening featuring Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Rafeyenko in discussion with Mark Andryczyk. On the occasion of the recent publication of Andryczyk’s English-language translation of Rafeyenko’s play “Signals of Being or Verbum Caro Factum Est” (2025), the two will read excerpts from the publication and discuss how Ukraine’s culture continues to respond to Russia’s enduring drive to eliminate Ukrainian identity.
6 Mar| 2:30-8:00 PM| NYC
Ukraine Tech: On the Battlefield and Beyond
The Ukrainian Institute of America will host a conference on Ukraine’s emergence as a key proving ground for advanced technology. Drawing on longstanding scientific and engineering expertise, Ukrainian innovations—from drones and AI to cyber capabilities—are reshaping modern warfare and global security far beyond the battlefield.
6 Mar| 3:00-5:00 PM| Princeton, NJ
Event with Volodymyr Rafeyenko: Signals of Being
In the early days of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine the residents of a small co-op community outside of Kyiv find themselves in increasingly desperate circumstances, surrounded by occupying Russian forces. Pinched between Bucha and Borodianka, cut off from aid, and unable to escape, their attempts at survival rely on connection: a cellphone signal in the forest, their bonds with each other, and, ultimately, new understandings of what it means to be Ukrainian. Weaving Shakespeare with both Ukrainian literary classics and contemporary works, “Signals of Being or Verbum Caro Factum Est” stages a captivating dramatic interpretation of a country at war.
7 Mar| 12:00-4:00 PM| Chicago, IL
L.A. Woman, Irene Antonovych
The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art proudly presents L.A. Woman, a memorial exhibition surveying the life’s work of model, actress, artist, curator, and documentary filmmaker, Irene Antonovych, née Zmurkevych.
The show also highlights her personal collection, which includes works by portraitist Julian Butsmaniuk; California artists Nick Brigante, Peter Max, Morgan Russell, and Volodymyr Balas.
10 Mar| 4:00-5:30 PM| NYC
Perspectives on the Hidden Cost of War
This talk will bring together three perspectives on the hidden cost of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. As questions about a prospective peace plan continue to circulate, Olga Rudneva, Roksolana Yurchyshyn, and Mary Jordan bring firsthand accounts of soldiers on the frontlines, Ukrainians coping with trauma, and rescued children from the Temporarily Occupied Territories. Together, their work paints the sweeping cost of war beyond the headlines and centers a conversation on what a just peace really means for Ukraine.
15 Mar| 1:00 PM| Chicago, IL
Testimony of a dissident: 16 years of imprisonment
The Ukrainian community of Chicago is honored to welcome a true living legend — Mykola Horbal, poet, dissident, former political prisoner, and member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. A lifelong advocate for human rights and Ukrainian independence, Horbal’s voice has endured imprisonment and repression. On Sunday, March 15, he will speak at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago, offering reflections shaped by decades of resistance and cultural leadership.
26-27 Mar|NYC
Conference. 1990s Ukraine: Undertaken Initiatives & Squandered Opportunities
Please join the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute for the conference 1990s Ukraine: Undertaken Initiatives & Squandered Opportunities. Of late, several important scholarly publications have appeared that focus on the years leading to the Revolution of Dignity and Russia’s invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 in search of roots for the dramatic changes in identity and civil society that Ukraine has undergone in the recent past. These volumes are very insightful and informative in tracing the trajectory of developments on those fronts in Ukraine since 2000, but they largely ignore the first ten years of Ukrainian independence—roughly the 1990s. However, that decade, in fact, featured many of the key initiatives and strategies that would be further developed in the country in the decades to come. 1990s Ukraine will look back at the 1990s and identify crucial areas that can be linked with more recent experiences in Ukraine.
As the seasons change, our commitment cannot. We invite you to stay engaged, stay informed, and keep your attention on Ukraine — not only in moments of crisis, but in the ongoing work of resilience, culture, and rebuilding. Your continued interest, presence, and support matter more than ever.