From Seed to Symbol: The Sunflower in Ukrainian History

Time: 11.30 a.m. AEST, Sunday 18 May 2025

Place: St Andrew’s Church Hall, 57 Church Street, Lidcombe, NSW.

This event is hosted by the Ukrainian Studies Foundation in Australia.

Persons interested in attending by Zoom are invited to request a link from USFA Chair Ms Maria Havryliv at marikahav13@gmail.com

Abstract:

The sunflower, a vibrant and essential part of global cuisine, holds a unique place in Ukraine’s cultural and historical landscape. Today, sunflower oil is a staple in the local and regional kitchen, and the flower’s bright imagery is deeply woven into the nation’s cultural fabric. Yet, many might be surprised to learn that the sunflower, known as soniashnyk in Ukrainian, is not native to Ukraine’s forest-steppe and steppe lands. First cultivated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas, sunflowers were introduced to Europe and then to the Russian Empire, eventually becoming one of the most common crops in Ukraine. The sunflower has thrived in Eastern Europe, evolving into a cornerstone of Ukraine’s economy as the country has emerged as the world’s leading exporter of sunflower seeds and oil.

While the sunflower is a cherished icon in Ukrainian literature and art and a popular symbol of resilience, its environmental impact has not received the critical attention it deserves, particularly its role in soil degradation and the spread of monoculture farming. This lecture will delve into the complex history of sunflowers within Ukraine’s economic, cultural, and environmental landscapes. By examining this agricultural plant as a source of food, cultural significance and national wealth, the talk will illuminate the intricate relationship between sunflowers, Ukraine’s history and its land.

Iryna Skubii is the inaugural Mykola Zerov Fellow in Ukrainian Studies at the University of Melbourne. She holds a PhD in History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario (Canada) and a Candidate of Science degree in History from V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine). Before coming to Australia, she held teaching and visiting research positions in Ukraine, Germany, Canada, Austria, and Poland. Her research explores Ukraine’s history of trade, consumption, material culture, and human-environmental relationships during the early Soviet period, including the Soviet famines. She is the author of Trade in Kharkiv in the Years of NEP: Economy and Everyday Life (1921–1929) and is currently preparing her next book, Survival Under Extremes: Human, Environmental, and Material Relationships Amidst the Soviet Famines in Ukraine, for publication.