Imiona Krymu  – Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art

• Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art invites you to a meeting with Anastasiia Lewkova, author of the Ukrainian bestseller Imiona Krymu [TN: The Names of Crimea].
  • How can we describe what happened in Crimea before 2014? What names and identities did its residents adopt? What language can convey the tragedy of the Crimean Tatars, the dilemmas faced by Ukrainians, and the histories of other communities living on the peninsula?
• The Names of Crimea by Anastasiia Lewkova evokes the scent of lavender, the taste of chebureks, and the sound of the ezan. “Beyond Perekop there is land,” the author insists — a phrase that also serves as the title of the Ukrainian edition of her novel, challenging the popular Crimean saying that the world ends at the isthmus linking the peninsula with the mainland.
  • Through the perspective of the novel’s protagonist, Oksana, the reader follows the recent history of the peninsula, encounters Crimean Tatar culture, and explores the region’s past. The narrative also addresses the Stalinist deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944, the anniversary of which falls shortly before the event. This topic will be an important point of reference during the meeting.
• The conversation will be moderated by Michał Nogaś.
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Speakers

• Anastasiia Lewkova

  • is a Ukrainian writer, journalist and cultural manager; member of the Ukrainian PEN Club. In 2018, she initiated the literary and translation competition Qırım inciri (Crimean Fig), devoted to works in Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian focused on Crimea. She has since served as its permanent coordinator and jury member.
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• Michał Nogaś

  • is a Polish press and radio journalist, host of the original programme Wszystkie Książki Świata on Polish Radio Three (Trójka).
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• The book was translated into Polish by Joanna Majewska-Grabowska and published by KEW Publishing House.
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• Event partners: Institute of Intercultural Studies of Central and Eastern Europe, Crimean House, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Ukrainian House, and the Crimean Tatar Studies Initiative.
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• The event is organised as part of the Archipelagos programme, co-financed by the European Union. Additional funding is provided by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Cultural Promotion Fund — a state special-purpose fund.