Abour a special city in a special place

These days, first-year students of the specialties "International Economic Relations" and "Economic Diplomacy" attended lecture classes in the discipline "Country Studies" in an unusual format — in the historic heart of Uzhhorod.

The lecture was delivered by Alen Volodymyrovych Panov — professor, Doctor of Philosophy, head of the Department of International Politics of Uzhhorod National University.

This time, the university classroom changed its usual walls for a space in which history itself became part of the educational material. The classes were held in the Royal Chapel and on the territory of Uzhhorod Castle — places that preserve the memory of different eras and important pages of the city's history.

The Royal Chapel — a special place in the historical space of Uzhhorod. It was recreated in 2021 on the site of the city's oldest Roman Catholic church, which already existed in 1332. Thus, the modern space of the chapel is connected with the centuries-long history of the city and its religious and cultural heritage.

It was here that the students began their class, having the opportunity not merely to listen to the lecturer but to be directly in the historical environment. The students were especially interested in playing the mechanical organ by the Dutch master Jan de Olde. It was manufactured in 1971 to an individual commission and has 5 registers and 363 pipes. Before moving to Uzhhorod, the organ sounded in several churches in the Netherlands, in particular in Leiden — one of the country's oldest university cities. This made it possible to perceive the account of Uzhhorod differently — a city whose history was formed at the intersection of different cultures, traditions and historical processes.

The next location was Uzhhorod Castle — one of the most iconic landmarks of the city and of Zakarpattia. In scholarly research, Uzhhorod Castle is regarded as an important medieval fortification monument of the region. Its history is connected with the political and military processes that took place in the region over the centuries.

Castle Hill became a kind of extension of the lecture hall. In this space, students could directly see the historical environment that was discussed during the class and better feel the scale and multilayered nature of Uzhhorod's history.

The particular value of such a format lies in the opportunity to see the city not only through the eyes of a modern resident but also through the prism of its past. During the lecture, the first-year students learned much that was new and interesting about Uzhhorod, its history, cultural heritage, the significance of the city and the peculiarities of its development.

For future specialists in the field of international economic relations and economic diplomacy, such an acquaintance with the city is especially important. After all, an understanding of history, culture and the peculiarities of a territory is an integral component of a broader vision of international processes.

The lecture in the Royal Chapel and Uzhhorod Castle became an example of how learning can go beyond the traditional classroom. Historical monuments turned into a kind of educational space where knowledge was combined with place, atmosphere and live communication.

A special city — in a special place, and learning — in direct dialogue with history.