The Russian language subject at the University of Eastern Finland is launching a new minor in Ukrainian language and culture, available to all students at the University of Eastern Finland. The minor study module is comprised of six courses: three in Ukrainian language and three in Ukrainian culture.
Basic knowledge of Russian or Ukrainian is a requirement for the language courses. On the culture courses, students will learn about everyday life in Ukraine, as well as about the country’s economy, history and contemporary issues. The culture courses are taught in English, making it possible for international students to take them as well.
A step towards a full curriculum in East Slavic languages and cultures
In the days of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, Ukrainian and Belarusian cultures were systematically marginalised, as Russian culture was promoted as the dominant norm. The new minor puts an independent and unrestricted Ukrainian culture at its core.
Since Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian are all part of the East Slavic language family whose speakers have always lived next to and in contact with one another, the studies in Ukrainian language and culture will also enhance students’ understanding of Russia and the Russian language. After all, expertise in Russian culture is impossible without knowledge of its relative and neighbouring cultures.
The Ukrainian language and culture courses will be introduced to the Russian language curriculum as a minor subject or as an elective study module of 15 ECTS, making the Ukrainian language and culture minor a marked step towards a full curriculum in East Slavic languages and cultures within the Russian language subject.
“The launch of this minor is our way of responding to geopolitical changes , as we expect to see increasingly close collaboration between Finland and East Slavic societies in the coming decades. Knowledge of Ukrainian language and culture will be beneficial not only for Eastern Finland but for Finnish society at large, and it will also facilitate international collaboration,” says Esa Penttilä, Head of the School of Humanities.
The minor subject studies will be launched in autumn 2025. The studies will span over an 18-month period, with one language course and one culture course offered each semester.
