In 2025, the NGO “Association of Alumni, Faculty and Friends of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University” launched the international research project “CITY AND WAR: Destruction, Preservation, and Reinterpretation of the Cultural Heritage of Major Cities in Southeastern Ukraine.” The project is being implemented with the support of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) at the University of Alberta within the framework of the Contemporary Ukraine Studies Program (CUSP).

The project focuses on studying the transformation of urban spaces, cultural memory, and heritage in Ukrainian cities that have experienced extensive destruction as a result of the full-scale war. Particular attention is given to the processes of preserving, documenting, and reinterpreting the cultural heritage of major cities in Southeastern Ukraine during wartime and in the context of post-war recovery.

As part of the project, the research team examines the impact of the war on urban environments, architectural heritage, local identity, and collective memory, while also creating a platform for interdisciplinary academic dialogue between Ukrainian and international scholars.

The project is being implemented in two phases during 2025–2026 and includes research activities, the preparation of analytical materials and academic publications, as well as public discussions and presentations of research findings.

The initiative has become an important contribution to the development of international academic cooperation, the understanding of the war’s impact on Ukrainian cities, and the preservation of cultural heritage as an essential component of national memory and identity.