Yesterday, a new cultural research institute, the Institute for Documentation and Interaction (INDEX), was inaugurated in Lviv. The opening was attended by the world-renowned historian and professor Timothy Snyder, who initiated the institute, and Ukrainian writer, musician and soldier Serhiy Zhadan.
INDEX: The Institute for Documentation and Engagement is a project of the Institute for the Humanities in Vienna (IWM). For almost a decade, the IWM has been amplifying the voices of Ukrainian women and men around the world and documenting Ukrainian experiences of war through its Ukraine in European Dialogue and Documenting Ukraine programmes. As the institution’s leaders noted during the opening ceremony, it is time to go beyond quick-impact projects and think about documenting reality for the future.
The creation of INDEX, a Ukrainian intellectual and cultural institution, is not only a response to a full-scale war, but also a guarantee of long-term and dedicated cooperation. It will document Russia’s war against Ukraine and facilitate intellectual interaction between Ukraine and the outside world.
The opening of the institute began with a short lecture by Timothy Snyder on the importance of documenting Ukraine’s experience of war. This was followed by a conversation and discussion between the historian and Serhiy Zhadan, moderated by journalist and PEN Ukraine Vice President Myroslava Barchuk. At the end of the event, Serhiy Zhadan read out excerpts from his prose works.
The opening was attended by many guests from abroad, including Ukrainian journalists, cultural figures, professors, publishers, etc. The event was also attended by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.