Vitsche Talks: Wine, Words, Turning Points
From June 12 through July 31, join us every Thursday for a series of intimate talks and conversations. We’ll explore Ukraine through the lenses of memory, music, identity and geopolitics. These Thursday evenings invite reflection, dialogue and connection—over a glass of wine and with an open mind, in the cozy Berlin-Wedding neighborhood. Our guests—scholars, intellectuals, musicians and authors—will speak on what shapes Ukraine today and how it’s transforming Europe. Start: 6:30 PM Location: Berlin, Wedding(Exact address provided after registration; see link below.) Admission: Donation from €7 (includes one glass of wine) Seats are limited—registration required Languages: German and English REGISTER HERE Program: June 12 | 6:30 PM Prof. Dr. Yulia ShtaltovnaProfessor of International and Intercultural Management, Dean of Studies (IBM program), Hochschule Fresenius, Berlin What the World Can Learn from UkraineDrawing on her recent co-authored article (with Valerii Pekar) in New Eastern Europe, Prof. Shtaltovna reflects on how Ukrainian society has demonstrated remarkable resilience, self-organization and adaptability in the face of full-scale war—qualities from which the rest of the world can take valuable lessons. She’ll show how Ukrainians turn crises into opportunities for unity, growth and civic strength, and how those strategies might inspire other societies during times of upheaval. Language of the evening: English June 26 | 6:30 PM Nikolai KlimenioukJournalist Beyond Propaganda: How Russian Influencers and Regime Critics Play into the Kremlin’s HandsWhile russian state propaganda—and its allies in Western politics and media—claim that Russia’s war on Ukraine is primarily the West’s fault and portray Russia as security-minded and peace-seeking, even regime critics often reinforce the Kremlin narrative by depicting it as all-powerful, stable yet unpredictable and uncompromising. Klimeniouk will examine why the notion of Putin’s regime as driven above all by power retention and profit (rather than mass popular support) serves to steer discussions toward negotiations and compromise. Language of the evening: English July 3 | 6:30 PM Prof. Andrii PortnovProfessor of Entangled Ukrainian History, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder) Germany and Ukraine—Is There a Path to Deeper Understanding and Genuine Partnership?Historian and public intellectual Prof. Portnov explores the complex relations between Ukraine and Germany—past and present. Why do persistent misunderstandings endure despite shared interests? What historical and political blind spots obstruct an equal and open dialogue? And what steps are needed, amid war, European integration and memory politics, to build a true partnership? He’ll draw on a decade of academic and civil-society collaboration between the two countries. Language of the evening: English July 10 | 6:30 PM Yuriy GurzhyMusician, Composer, DJ and Author An Aquarium Full of Keys: Kharkiv and the Pictures of My FatherThis fall 2025 sees the publication (Edition Fröhlich) of Gurzhy’s second book, An Aquarium Full of Keys. Kharkiv and the Pictures of My Father—a collection of short stories about his recent journeys home, accompanied by photographs from his father Alexander Gurzhy’s archive. Tonight he’ll read selections from the work in progress, display chosen images, and perhaps even add musical interludes. Language of the evening: German July 17 | 6:30 PM Dr. Stefanie EisenhuthPostdoctoral Researcher and Adjunct Professor, University of Greifswald; Gerda Henkel Foundation Research Fellow Germany’s “Coming to Terms” with the Past: Myths, Challenges and Political ImpactDr. Eisenhuth will guide us through Germany’s complex process of Vergangenheitsbewältigung—the confrontation with its National Socialist past—in East and West Germany after 1945. After an introductory overview of how each state faced (or evaded) this history, she’ll focus on the blind spots in German memory culture: why and how the experiences of Eastern and Central Europe were marginalized. In the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, we’ll discuss how these gaps shape public attitudes and political responses to current aggression. Language of the evening: English July 24 Ostap Sereda(confirmation pending) July 31 Viktoria Sereda(confirmation pending)
