On January 22, history stepped out of the textbooks and began to speak in its own voice.
At the book.ua bookstore near the Golden Gate, a public talk took place under the title “Unity Day of Ukraine — A Space for a Conversation about History, Values, and the Unity of Ukrainians.” It was led by 10th-grade students of the Cambridge stream at the A+ Architectural and Engineering Collegium, together with their history teacher Mykhailo Hromov — an oral history researcher at the Museum of Childhood in War.
The format was an open conversation with the audience, in which the students appeared as both speakers and moderators. They explored why the idea of unity rang out so powerfully back then — and why it resonates even more strongly today.
When History Stops Being a “Subject”
At the heart of the discussion were the events of January 22, 1919: the proclamation of the Act of Unification (Act Zluky) of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic.
In a warm, friendly atmosphere, the participants spoke about the prerequisites of unification, the political and social challenges of that era, and — most importantly — the parallels with the present day. The Act of Unification was viewed as both a political gesture and a symbol that still works today. Special attention was given to the “human chain” of January 21, 1990 — an example of civic action that translated the idea of unity into living practice.
Participants formed their own positions, debated, and asked questions. Unity sounded like a value one has to grapple with right now. Students built arguments, refined them, and drew the audience in. The conversation was alive: with doubts, reactions, and at times disagreements. Understanding emerges precisely in such a format. The talk fostered a deeper grasp of history and helped shape a sense of patriotic awareness among those present.
An Open Conversation Where Everyone Joins In
The audience — from regular visitors of the bookstore to those who simply happened to drop by — quickly became part of the process. Questions from the floor shifted the course of the discussion, added new accents, and gave it depth.
book.ua was not merely a venue here. It became a meeting point where a book turns into a conversation, and history turns into personal experience. A space that lets you not only read, but live the meaning through dialogue.
Gatherings like this change the very approach to learning. Because here knowledge is not transmitted — it happens.
Why Such Formats Matter
When students themselves step into the public arena and speak about complex topics, the very role of education shifts.
They:
- learn to argue rather than to repeat;
- work with sources rather than ready-made formulations;
- see how knowledge interacts with reality.
This is precisely how the skill of thinking takes shape — something that cannot be checked by any test.
The Sequel: A Scientific Conference at the A+ Architectural and Engineering Collegium
On March 25, this same logic continued — this time within the walls of the collegium. The scientific conference “Modern Challenges and the Reconstruction of Ukraine: An Interdisciplinary Approach” took place.
It is a platform for student research and projects exploring how today’s challenges actually work — through science, technology, and the humanities.
Students presented projects at the intersection of different fields: from the natural sciences to law and social research. And one simple thing became clear: without that intersection, it is difficult to speak about real solutions.
The Grand Prix went to Sofia Andriushenko, a student of the Ukrainian Humanities Lyceum at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and of the Kyiv Junior Academy of Sciences. Her research focused on international criminal justice as a tool for responding to today’s challenges, particularly through engagement with the International Criminal Court.
The event’s partner, the book.ua bookstore, recognized the winner with a gift certificate for purchasing books.
What Stands Behind These Events
Education is moving beyond the classroom. The student stops being a listener and becomes a participant.
Knowledge stops being static — it starts to move, to be tested in conversation, to come up against reality. And it is at that very moment that education truly begins to work.
