In her dissertation “Fading Ambivalence, Mounting Uncertainty: Societal Unity and Belonging in Wartime Ukraine,” Anna Chebotarova investigates not only how wartime solidarity takes shape, but also what sustains—or erodes—it under the intense strain of military aggression and involuntary dislocation. Combining a decade-long nationwide survey (2013–2023) with in-depth interviews of internally and externally displaced Ukrainians, the study examines how war and forced mobility generate new forms of (dis)unity in a spatially fragmented society.
Building on and extending theoretical frameworks of belonging and the “rally 'round the flag” effect, Chebotarova analyzes how crisis reshapes political attachments and emotional bonds. Across four articles, she traces the evolution of societal unity before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion, revealing how an anti-aggressor consensus and the consolidation of Ukrainian civic identity have replaced the post-Soviet ambivalence that once characterized the country. At the same time, the author concludes that war becomes a new transformative framework of “militarized” belonging, which is simultaneously inclusive and exclusive. While the common contribution to the war effort unites Ukrainians across regional, linguistic and ethnic divides, a wartime “experience gap” is emerging, leading to new societal bordering – both symbolic and physical.
These research findings contribute to broader debates on societal transformation in existential crises and offer insights into transborder unity and fragmentation in protracted conflict settings. The dissertation is part of the VALREF research project, funded by the Research Council of Norway.
Anna Chebotarova successfully defended her dissertation on 27 June 2025.
Trial lecture
Designated topic: "The WWII memory in Eastern Europe: shifting narratives and memoryscapes over the last decade"
Evaluation committee
- Dr. Tetiana Kostiuchenko, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, guest researcher Berlin Freie Universität. First opponent.
- Dr. Viktoriya Sereda, Institute for Advanced Studies Berlin (Ukrainian Catholic University). Second opponent.
- Associate professor Helge Blakkisrud, Universitetet i Oslo (commitee administrator)
Chair of the defence
Supervisors
- Professor Geir Flikke (University of Oslo)
- Senior Research Fellow Tor Bukkvoll (FFI, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment)