Registration REQUIRED by 12pm on January 30, 2026 in order to attend this event.
Please join the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute and the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies (GCUS) for a lecture by Alim Aliev. Moderated by Yuri Shevchuk.
This public discussion will examine the profound changes that have taken place in Crimea over the 12 years of its temporary occupation by the Russian Federation. The conversation will focus on how local residents continue to resist the occupation, how Crimean Tatars preserve and develop their identity under conditions of repression, and how they envision their future. Particular attention will be paid to human rights violations, cultural resilience, and the role of Crimea and Crimean Tatars in Ukraine’s broader struggle for freedom and independence.
Alim Aliev is Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute and the founder of the literary project Crimean Fig. He is a human rights defender, curator of educational and cultural projects, researcher, and essayist. Aliev is a member of PEN Ukraine and a co-founder of the NGO Crimea SOS. He is the co-author of the book “Mustafa Dzhemilev. Unbreakable,” dedicated to the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, and the author of numerous essays on Crimea, Crimean Tatars, and Ukrainian identity during the war, published in Ukrainian and international media. Aliev initiated the creation of the digital museum of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, Tamırlar. He previously served as Program Director of the Crimean House and as a media and communications consultant for the expert company pro.mova. He has participated as a speaker and member of Ukrainian delegations to the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the OSCE, the UN Security Council, and other international institutions. In 2020, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the President of Ukraine. His professional focus includes Ukrainian civil society, the development of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies abroad, occupied Crimea and the Crimean Tatar people, decolonization, freedom of speech, and the international representation of contemporary Ukrainian culture.
Please email disability@columbia.edu to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
