April 25, 2022 11.00 am This story is over 23 months old

Lincoln university hosting open history talk in support of Ukraine

Donations will be collected for a fundraising appeal

The open history talk 'Gareth Jones and Ukraine: An extraordinary life in extraordinary times' will be held on April 27, 2022. | Photo: University of Lincoln

An open history talk examining a shocking chapter in Ukraine’s history and how Welsh journalist Gareth Jones exposed it to the world will be held at the University of Lincoln this week.

The free event is available to everyone, but booking a place is essential for the talk – ‘Gareth Jones and Ukraine: An extraordinary life in extraordinary times’ – being held at 6pm on Wednesday, April 27.

The talk will be held in the Co-op Lecture Theatre in the Minerva Building on the University’s Brayford Pool campus – book your place here.

It will look at how the journalist defied institutional denials and suppression to bring attention to the 1930s Ukrainian ‘Holodomor’ famine, which went on to inspire the 2020 award-winning feature film ‘Mr Jones’.

Archaeologist Naomi Field, editor of Gareth Jones’ biography ‘More Than a Grain of Truth’, and political scientist Dr Edwina Bacon, from the University of Lincoln School of Social and Political Science, will discuss the significance of Gareth Jones’ life, work, and the decisions he made.

The talk has been organised by the University of Lincoln’s Public Engagement with Research unit (PEARL). It is being held in support of the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal, and the University’s Ukraine Students and Academics Support Appeal – make a donation here.

Professor Carenza Lewis, Professor for the public understanding of research at the university, said: “The Ukrainian ‘Holodomor’ Famine was a genuinely shocking period of what is still relatively recent history.

“Gareth Jones’ actions in exposing it to the western world, in the face of overwhelming denials, were genuinely courageous and it’s great that we can hold this open lecture to discuss his life in detail.

“The talk also gives us the opportunity to raise much needed funds to support those affected by the ongoing conflict taking place in Ukraine.”