Biography

Olena Viktorivna Styazhkina is a Ukrainian writer, historian, publicist, doctor of historical sciences who combines academic depth with artistic sensitivity, researching and comprehending the themes of freedom, responsibility and choice.

Education and scientific activity

She was born February 25, 1968 in Donetsk. She graduated from the Faculty of History of Donetsk State University in 1990.

  • 1996 — defended a candidate's thesis on the topic "Cultural processes in Donbas in the 1960s-1990s of the 20th century"
  • 2003 — obtained the degree of doctor of historical sciences (research topic — "Women in the history of Ukrainian culture of the second half of the 20th century")

For over 20 years, she taught at the Donetsk National University named after Vasyl Stus at the Department of Slavic History. After the start of the war in Donbas, she moved to Kiev, where:

  • works as a senior researcher at the Institute of the History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
  • taught at Mariupol State University and NaUKMA

Academic and public activity

The author of more than 90 scientific publications, covering:

  • gender history
  • soviet era
  • history of everyday life

An active participant of the intellectual and civic environment:

  • co-founder of the movement "Deoccupation. Return. Education"
  • member of Ukrainian PEN, Ukrainian Association of Women's History Researchers, Ukrainian Association of Oral History
  • edited the scientific journal "New pages of the history of Donbas"

Literary creativity

Olena Styazhkina is the author of novels, collections of short stories and non-fiction, in which the main motives are:

  • freedom
  • responsibility
  • ethics of choice
  • human existence in conditions of disasters and changes

Her works were noted:

  • prizes "Coronation of the word"
  • "Russian Prize"
  • numerous translations into foreign languages

Her voice is intellectual, deep, ethically steadfast. She belongs to the circle of modern Ukrainian authors who define the narrative of history, memory and dignity in the 21st century.