Book Club - The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine

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Abstract

The Gates of Europe by Serhii Plokhy is the definitive history of Ukraine that helps us to understand the country's past, present and future. As Ukraine is embroiled in an ongoing struggle with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence, celebrated historian Serhii Plokhy explains that today’s crisis is a case of history repeating itself-- it is only the latest in a long history of battles over Ukraine's territory and its existence as a sovereign nation. Situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Ukraine has been shaped by empires that exploited the nation as a strategic gateway between East and West—from the Romans and Ottomans to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. They all left their imprint on the landscape, the language and the people living within these shifting borders. In The Gates of Europe, Plokhy examines Ukraine’s search for its identity through the lives of major Ukrainian historical figures, from its heroes to its conquerors.

About the Author

Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University, where he also serves as the director of the university’s Ukrainian Research Institute. He is a leading authority on Eastern Europe and author of sixteen books on the intellectual, cultural, and international history of Eastern Europe, with special emphasis on Ukraine. His previous books include The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union, for which he received the Lionel Gelber Prize for the world’s best non-fiction book in English on global issues, and Chernobyl, the recipient of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Plokhy was born in Russia, and grew up in Ukraine. Before joining Harvard University, he was a professor at Dnipropetrovsk University/ Ukraine and the University of Alberta/Canada.