DANYLIW RESEARCH SEMINAR ON CONTEMPORARY UKRAINE

The film reconstructs the dramatic months preceding the 1991 referendum, when the future of Ukraine remained uncertain and independence was far from guaranteed. The story follows Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainian Americans who travelled to Soviet Ukraine at a crucial historical moment. Working alongside local democratic activists and members of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh), they helped establish channels of communication beyond state control. Narrated by Ukrainian journalist Akim Halimov, the film combines historical investigation with personal testimony. Contemporary interviews with key participants are interwoven with archival footage. It demonstrates how solidarity and international networks contributed to independence in 1991 and continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty today.