“When war ends, peace does not automatically begin.” - KIU fellow Tetiana Kalenychenko on her research

Tetiana Kalenychenko is based in the Bucha district and works all over Ukraine. That used to include the Donetsk and Luhansk region. Since more than three years, it doesn’t anymore. Tetiana Kalenychenko is one of the KIU fellows, who was supported directly on site in Ukraine. She holds a doctorate in sociology of religion and primarily conducts research on peace and conflict, but also works actively as a dialogue facilitator and mediator. The fact that she deals with these topics on several levels mainly has advantages, she says: “As a researcher, I deal with the issues and then can check directly in the field whether it works. I really enjoy that.” She has been researching these topics since 2015. A lot has changed since then, the situation is very dynamic. The Russian attack on Ukraine in particular was a major turning point in her work and research.

“Theories of peacebuilding within a society relate primarily to the context of civil wars. In the case of Ukraine, however, we have an interstate war. This does not mean that these theories are not applicable to the situation in Ukraine, but they are only to a limited extent,” Tetiana Kalenychenko explains. She says, it is therefore important to rethink the theoretical framework of her research, to expand it theoretically and also to take internal conflicts into account. Because, as in every society, there are also internal conflicts and different camps, political and social dissent, which do not simply stop during war.

One of the central questions of the project on which she is conducting research together with other academics, is how to promote social cohesion while the country is at war with another state. Specifically, they are looking at how dialogue between different faith-based actors can succeed. “Ukraine is of course a multi-religious state, but most people identify themselves as orthodox. This is not just about religion, but about cultural identity. We have several orthodox churches in Ukraine, but above all two main orthodox jurisdictions, that are in conflict with each other,” explains Tetiana Kalenychenko. One strand has developed primarily in Ukraine, while the other was mainly connected to Moscow. “So it is really complicated. This conflict is mainly about identity during the war and how it changes,” she explains.

The conflict between the two churches had already existed before the war broke out. It is about theological, but also political and economic attitudes. Since then however, the issues have intensified and became more urgent. “We are still working with both churches and are looking for ways to build trust and overcome certain disagreements,” explains Tetiana Kalenychenko. To this end, they work with various stakeholders at all levels, with priests, bishops and ordinary believers. Her mediation and research work sometimes takes place simultaneously. As a dialogue facilitator, her main aim is to strengthen social capital and social trust.

“The role of religion is often underestimated and seen as belonging to the private sphere, whereas it also belongs within the public sphere. It's not just about religion as such, but about the narratives that exist there, how social practices and networks are created and how they function. Both, radical and fundamental groups can be based on religious affiliation. It is very important to understand this,” Tetiana Kalenychenko emphasizes.

Her research has led her to the conclusion that agonistic peacebuilding and adaptive peace frame approaches have worked well in Ukraine thus far. “This means that you don't have to be united in principle to come to a joint decision. At least, if there is some kind of external enemy, it is possible to create enough room for negotiation if both parties want to survive,” Tetiana Kalenychenko states. It is important for her to make it clear that peace mediation is not just about negotiating specific points of conflict: “It's about how we can remain a society during the war and afterwards. When the war ends, peace does not automatically begin.” In Tetiana Kalenychenko's understanding, peace is a process that makes it possible not only to remain physically unharmed, but also to live in freedom, to feel connected and protected in one's identity.

The war has also changed research and science in general, the sociologist reports. She has less access to certain data and regions. The research team is scattered across Europe; they are based in Switzerland, Finland and Ukraine. This works well, but is sometimes tedious, says Tetiana Kalenychenko. As the majority of her colleagues are abroad, it is difficult to feel connected and stay in real contact. There is much less room for reflection and exchange: “There is hardly any opportunity to simply talk and think things through together. You're also constantly under stress.” The reasons why she stays in Ukraine are complex: “I believe that we can change things and I think that my work is very important right now and also for the time after the war. I don't think I could continue my work in the same way abroad.” Nevertheless, the social situation is stressful and the absence of so many people very noticeable: “But perhaps the greatest tragedy in this context is, that we have lost many people who could have really made a difference,” Tetiana Kalenychenko concludes.

Translated by Deepl and edited