It's a multidisciplinary module that provides the students with opportunities to orientate themselves to the study of Ukrainian culture, history, politics, international relations and contemporary society. The module gives an excellent basis for deepening student’s expertise on Ukraine.
Every degree and exchange student of the University of Helsinki has the right to take the Ukrainian Studies. Students of the Aleksanteri Institute Expertise in Russian and Eastern European Studies (ExpREES) can take the Ukrainian Studies courses that are included in the ExpREES teaching programme.
Students outside the University of Helsinki may apply for the right to partake in the Ukrainian Studies through the Flexible Study-Right Scheme (JOO). All Finland’s universities are signatories to the JOO agreement, which gives undergraduate and postgraduate students the chance to include studies from other Finnish universities in their degrees. The flexible study right for the Ukraine Studies can be applied through the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki. Further information about JOO
Please note that the teaching programme might be subject to changes and additions, so it is advisable to check course-specific information before the start of the course. You can find course descriptions and registration links at the course pages.
History of Modern Ukraine, 1569–1991 (REE-551, ExpREES), course page, I period
Making Sense of Russia’s war in Ukraine: Military, Political and Social Context (REE-553, REE-552, ExpREES), course page, I period, hybrid course
Yiddish Women Writers' Voice in East European Tales (REE-531, REE-543, REE-535, REE-551, ExpREES), course page, I period, online course
Spatial History of Nineteenth-Century East Central Europe, (REE-532, REE-543, REE-542, REE-551, REE-535, ExpREES), course page, I period
An Imperial History of the Soviet Union (REE-521, REE-522, REE-523, REE-524, ENS-320, ExpREES, REE-535, REE-551, ExpREES), course page, I period
Ukrainian culture and society after 1991 (REE-552, REE-551, ExpREES), course page, II period
Politicized Media in Eastern Europe and its Impact on Public Opinion (REE-532, REE-541, REE-543, REE-552, ExpREES), course page, II period
Ukraine is ours! Churches, Religions and Politics in and about Ukraine (REE-552, REE-551, ExpREES, KUKA-US208, KUKA-US218, HISM-321, HISM-322, HISM-323), course page, III period, online course
Ukrainian Modernism: Image and Text (REE-551, ExpREES), course page, III period
Anti-gender politics in Eastern Europe and beyond (REE-542, SPT-375, SPT-377, SPT-378, ALKU-E318, ALKU-E313, ExpREES, REE-541, REE-543, REE-552), course page, III period
Nuclear Narratives in the East Central European Context (REE-543, REE-532, REE-534, REE- 536 REE-541, REE-553, ExpREES), course page, III period, one-week intensive course in hybrid format
Ethnic and Gender Identities of the Caucasus Region and Ukraine (REE-522, REE-521, REE-523, REE-524, REE-551, REE-552 and REE-553), course page, III period, one-week intensive course in hybrid format
Geopolitical theories and the place of Central and Eastern Europe in the modern world order (REE-532, REE-534, REE-536, REE-541, REE-542, REE-543, REE-552,ExpREES), course page, IV period, online course
Gender (In)Equality in Russia and Eastern Europe: Gender, Feminism and Society (REE-523, ExpREES, REE-543, REE-541, REE-532, REE-534, REE-536, REE-552, SPT-375, SPT-377, SPT-378), course page, IV period
For older teaching programmes starting from the academic year 2008-2009, please turn to Ukrainian Studies Planning Officer.
The Ukrainian Studies module (KUKA-UK500 Ukrainian Studies, 15 cr) was carried out in cooperation with the Bachelor's Programme in Cultural studies and the Aleksanteri Institute in 2020-2023.
KUKA-UK500 Ukrainian Studies (15 cr) consisted of three compulsory study units:
Startig from 1.8.2023 the Ukrainian Studies study module (REE-550, 15 cr)) is organised within the Master´s Programme in Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies (MAREEES). You can see the equivalencies of the 2020-2023 and the 2023-2026 curricula in the table below.
| Curriculum 2020-2023 | Curriculum 2023-2026 | |||||
| Code | Module or study unit | Cr | Code | Module or study unit | Cr | Responsible teacher |
| KUKA-UK500 | Ukrainian Studies | 15 | REE-550 | Ukrainian Studies | 15 | Jouni Järvinen |
| KUKA-UK501 | Ukrainian culture and history | 5 | REE-551 | Ukrainian culture and history | 5 | |
| KUKA-UK502 | Ukrainian society and politics | 5 | REE-552 | Ukrainian society and politics | 5 | |
| KUKA-UK503 | Ukraine in the world | 5 | REE-553 | Ukraine in the world | 5 |
You can check correlation of the old degree requirement study units, and the teaching plan 2017-2020 study units, as well as the correlation of the 17-20 and the 20-23 teaching plan study units from the tables below. The tables are regrettably in Finnish, please turn to Ukrainian Studies planning officer if you have any questions.
In the Instuctions for students you can find instructions and forms concerning the Ukrainian Studies by choosing Master's Programme in Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies. Director of Educational Programs Jouni Järvinen (see Research staff and experts) grants overall grades for the Ukrainian Studies, and is responsible for recognition of credits completed elsewhere, for example during exchange studies.
University of Helsinki has a bilateral exchange agreement to Ukraine, where the partner university is National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” in Kyiv. However, please note that for the time being students are not sent to Ukraine for the exchange studies.
For further information please see: Exchange opportunities in Georgia and Ukraine
The Ukrainian Studies mailing list is an information channel for the study module and the students. Information and comments on new publications, seminars, education possibilities, funding options etc, relating to Ukraine are welcome on the list.
The messages aimed for the study mailing list should be sent to
ukrainian-studies [at] helsinki.fi.
Please use the same address from which you subscribed to the mailing list.
You will receive an automatic reply confirming that your request has been received and forwarded to the administrator of the ukrainian-studies list. When you have been added to the list you will receive confirmation of this and instructions for unsubscribing the list. It is advisable to save this message for future reference.
NB: Please do not use Yahoo or Hotmail addresses. Messages from such addresses will be regarded as junk mail.
In questions concerning the content of the list, please turn to Ukrainian Studies Planning Officer
Director of Educational Programmes Jouni Järvinen
Education Coordinator Minna Oroza
The planning group supports pedagogical planning and development and participates to long-term strategic development of the Ukrainian Studies. The planning group consists of researchers/teachers and two student members.
Students, we have one open place for a student member. If you are interested in joining the planning group, please contact the Education Coordinator!