USUST lecture for Mother’s Day and Family Day explores Ukrainian identity

On 13 May 2026, an online lecture titled ‘Ethno-concepts and the mentality of Ukrainians’ was held for first-year USUST students, as well as academic group mentors and lecturers. The event was dedicated to Mother’s Day in Ukraine, celebrated on 10 May, and the International Day of Families – on 15 May. The meeting took place as part of the national and patriotic lecture series ‘Resilience of the Ukrainian nation: history and present’.

 

The participants learned more about how Ukraine’s natural environment and historical development influenced the formation of the Ukrainian worldview, traditions, and cultural values.

 

The lecture was delivered by Olena Liapicheva, Candidate of Philological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Ukrainian Studies and Foreign Languages of the SEI ‘PSACEA’. She talked about the influence of ancient culture on Ukrainian cultural heritage and emphasised the polyphonic nature of Ukrainian culture. The speaker identified tolerance as one of the key features of the Ukrainian character, reflected in respect for others, openness to dialogue, and striving for mutual understanding.

 

Special attention was paid to the concept of family as one of the leading Ukrainian ethno-concepts. Family was presented as a symbol of the spiritual connection between generations, a source of support, and a means of preserving traditions and national memory. The lecture also highlighted the importance of the images of the father and mother as an inseparable foundation of family, deeply rooted in Ukrainian consciousness.

 

During the meeting, the participants discussed the symbolic meaning of such Ukrainian concepts as the ‘World Tree’, the ‘Willow’, and ‘Family’, and considered both the positive and complex features of the Ukrainian mentality shaped by Ukraine’s natural environment.

 

The lecturer noted that Ukraine’s favourable natural and geographical conditions, fertile black soils, vast forests, and water resources contributed to the development of Ukrainians’ love of freedom, emotional depth, and individualism. At the same time, the natural wealth of Ukrainian lands did not give rise to aggression or a desire to seize foreign territories; rather, it fostered peacefulness and good neighbour relations.

 

The lecture also emphasised the importance of the family hearth and home as key symbols of the unity of the Ukrainian people. In Ukrainian tradition, therefore, the concept of family includes not only blood relatives, but also people united by shared values, mutual support, and commitment to a common cause. This is especially evident today, as Ukraine continues its struggle for independence and freedom.