On June 8, 2025, as part of the “Teacher of the Diaspora” program of the International Humanitarian and Pedagogical Institute “Beit Khana,” an online lecture by Dr. Yegor Vradii, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Museum, was held on the topic ““Haydamaks”, Ukrainians, Jews and Poles, or how the Russian Empire took Taras Shevchenko’s legacy into service”. The lecture was devoted to various aspects of the instrumentalization of Ukrainian cultural heritage for Russia’s distinctly imperial purposes. In other words, the conversation revolved around the question: why and how the work of the Poet, who for many Ukrainians personifies the desire for freedom, independence, and the fight against the empire, turned into a tool for the spread of Russian narratives, xenophobia and anti-Semitism in the “long 19th century” and how this influenced the tragic course of events in the 20th century. and even now – during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Participants in the “Teacher of the Diaspora” program are students of humanities majors who plan to work in educational institutions studying Jewish history, traditions, culture, and language and in communities, as well as specialists who already have previous education but would like to continue their studies in this area or improve their qualifications in this area, as well as students who wish to expand their knowledge.