As part of the University of Glasgow partnership with National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine, Tony Pollard and Iain Banks hosted Dr Alisa Demina in the Scottish Centre for War Studies and Conflict Archaeology in September last year. During that time they further developed an ongoing collaborative project focussed on the impact of the Russian invasion on the everyday lives of people, as reflected in modified spaces and material culture.  See University news page and a paper in the Journal of Conflict Archaeology.

Thanks to Dr Demina’s efforts on her return home, the project, titled: Memory and Materiality in Conflict Landscapes: Psychological Impact of Spontaneous Memorials in the Russian-Ukrainian War, developed into a grant application. This was successful and thanks to the Wellcome Trust’s Early Career Scheme this 5-year project is about to commence with Dr Demina as PI.

This is an impactful initiative which Tony and Iain will stay involved with. Iain will serve as academic mentor and following his retirement next year, Tony hopes to spend some time in Kyiv teaching and assisting with the project.

‘car graveyard’ in Irpin, Ukraine. A stack of burned and rusted vehicles adorned with sunflower artwork. Photo by Alisa Demina (see link to JCA paper)

 

First published: 11 October 2025

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