The Royal Historical Society was honoured to host the distinguished historian of Ukraine, Professor Serhii Plokhy, at an event held on Tuesday 16 May.

The event took place on publication day of Professor Plokhy’s new book, The Russo-Ukrainian War, about which he spoke, in conversation with Professor Sir Richard J. Evans. At the event Serhii and Sir Richard discussed the long history of the war, the motivations for the Russian invasion in February 2022, the distinctive character of Ukrainian civil society, and possible futures for Russia and Ukraine.

Serhii Plokhy is Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University. He is one of the most widely known historians working today and the author of numerous studies on the history of Ukraine, modern warfare and the Cold War.

His books include Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy (2018), which won the Baillie Gifford and Pushkin House Book Prizes; The Gates of Europe. A History of Ukraine (2015); and Lost Kingdom. A History of Russian Nationalism from Ivan the Great to Vladimir Putin (2017). Professor Plokhy’s extensive work on the history nuclear power and arms include Nuclear Folly. A New History of the Cuban Missile Crisis (2021) and Atoms and Ashes. From Bikini Atoll to Fukushima (2022).

Wednesday’s event was jointly organised with the Ukrainian Institute London to whom the Society is very grateful for this opportunity. A video of the conversation between Serhii and Sir Richard will be made available shortly.