Ivan Gayvanovych stayed at PRIF from October 6 to 12. Since 2022, the Ukrainian journalist has been working as a producer for ARD and WDR in Kyiv. Prior to that, he worked as a freelance journalist for SWR, NDR, ORF and others.
Gayvanovych's stay at PRIF is part of the “Write East” scholarship program of the Leibniz Research Network Central and Eastern Europe, which enables journalists, authors, and media professionals with an interest in the region to spend time as guests at institutes belonging to the research network. The aim of the program is to promote exchange between academia and the media on the part of Europe on which political and public attention has increasingly been focusing at least since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
In addition to bilateral discussions with interested researchers, the journalist reported on the various dimensions of Russia's war against Ukraine: He vividly portrayed the multi-faceted lives of Ukrainians with the war, assessed public opinions toward the aggressor and Western European countries, and reported on the economic consequences of the war — but also on the resilience and potential of entrepreneurs in Ukraine. He also shared his perceptions with regard to the Western European media coverage on the events, viewing the reduction of Ukraine to the war and the increasing war fatigue in Western Europe as particular challenges.
Following Ivan Gayvanovych's input, PRIF staff and researchers took the opportunity to ask questions based on their own work and working methods — for example, concerning the country's approach to the prospect of a long-lasting war, EU-sanctions against Russia, the media landscape in Ukraine itself, and the role of civil society in shaping the discourse on Ukraine and Ukrainians.
“Write East” and the Eastern Europe Research Network at PRIF are coordinated by Dr. Jonas J. Driedger. As part of the Research Department International Institutions, his research focuses on topics including interstate wars, relations between major powers and their neighbors, and Russian and transatlantic security and defense policy.