Year of Agnon in Ukraine: Five Large-Scale Events of 2025–2026
The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU), together with the Israeli Cultural Center "Nativ" at the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine, opened the Year of Shmuel Yosef Agnon — a great writer, a native of Buchach, a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The initiative to dedicate the annual events to Agnon belonged to the rector of KNU, Professor Volodymyr Bugrov, who is also a native of Buchach.
The idea of holding the Year of Agnon grew out of the first successful example of a partnership between the Israeli Cultural Center and KNU. In December 2024, they jointly held "Israeli Readings" based on Agnon's novel A Guest for the Night at the Kyiv Actors' House. The novel's outline was presented in a theatrical form with the participation of actors from the Suzir'ya performing arts theater on Yaroslaviv Val, under the direction of Oleksiy Kuzhelniy.
Mark Dovev, head of the "Nativ" representative office in Ukraine, at the presentation of the project at the KNU, expressed great gratitude to the university's leadership and personally its rector for their willingness to make the university a space for dialogue of cultures and ideas.
"Agnon was able to combine two worlds — the world of his childhood in Ukraine and the world of the spiritual revival of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. Raised in the atmosphere of a Ukrainian town full of Jewish tradition, he brought to Eretz Israel not only the language and memory of his people, but also the cultural experience of this land," emphasized Dovev.
The project partners were the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine, the Honorary Consul of Israel in the Western Region, Oleg Vishnyakov, as well as Leonid Finberg, head of the Judaica Center (Center for the Study of the History and Culture of Jews of Eastern Europe) in Kyiv.
Five large-scale projects are planned within the framework of the Year of Agnon, which Mark Dovev discussed with UJE.
- The first event of the project was the opening of the exhibition "Alien Houses" by the world-famous artist Matvei Vaisberg on 2 September 2025. In his paintings, the artist depicts the untold stories of the Jewish past in cities where Jews once lived. This life that has passed away is somewhat reminiscent of the town of Shibush, similar to Agnon's native city of Buchach, which is depicted in his novel A Guest for the Night.
- November 2025 — a scientific conference on the relationship between the cultures of the Ukrainian and Jewish peoples, jointly with Ariel University of Israel.
- Opening of the exhibition "Jerusalem — Kyiv from A to Z" at the Kyiv National University. For each letter of the two alphabets, concepts, landmarks, and their images with explanations in two languages in two capitals will be selected.
Later in 2026, similar exhibitions are planned: "Jerusalem — Odesa", "Jerusalem — Lviv", and "Jerusalem — Chernivtsi".
- A student ethnographic expedition to Buchach and Sataniv.
- In the summer of 2026, a scientific final conference with a competition of student works is planned, as well as "Israeli Readings: a Dialogue between Agnon and Skovoroda".
As part of the Year of Agnon, a number of Israeli scholars will be invited to Ukraine for lectures. It is planned to open an optional class in Hebrew studies at the Kyiv National University.
"Agnon's works have become an artistic bridge between Halychyna and Jerusalem, between the world that has disappeared and the new reality that he helped create. All these events will allow us to take a new look at Agnon's legacy and his connection with Ukrainian culture. In opening the Year of Agnon, we emphasize: his legacy belongs to Israel, Ukraine, and the whole world," said Mark Dovev.
Text: Shimon Briman (Israel).
Photo: from the official Facebook page of the Israeli Cultural Center "Nativ" in Kyiv.
