In this episode, Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor at KU Leuven, interviews Mirja Lecke, Chair of Slavic Literatures and Cultures at the University of Regensburg in Germany. They discuss Russian imperial literature’s portrayal of colonized territories like Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine—called "Western territories" to obscure their non-Russian identities. Lecke speaks of the historical evolution of Odessa’s cosmopolitan character, and the unique approach of Regensburg’s Slavic and East European Studies program, which embraces the diversity of the entire region rather than focusing solely on Russia.

Mirja Lecke participates in the project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine, led by KU Leuven and co-funded by the EU.