Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
specialist in the field of
Scandinavian studies
Scandinavian studies or ''Scandinavistics'' is an interdisciplinary academic field of area studies, mainly in the United States and Germany, that primarily focuses on the Scandinavian languages (also known as North Germanic languages) and cultura ...
European Association of Archaeologists
The European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit association, open to archaeologists and other related or interested individuals or bodies in Europe and beyond. It was founded in 1994 at an inaugural meeting in ...
since 2022.
Biography
Fedir Androshchuk was born on February 20, 1970, in the city of Kyiv.
In 1988, he entered the Faculty of History of
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...
, which he graduated in 1995. During 1987–1988, 1990–1996, he worked at the NASU Institute of Archaeology of Ukraine. He led the Shestovitsky and Kaniv expeditions of Taras Shevchenko National University (1993, 1996–1997). From 1996 to 2000, he worked as a teacher at the Department of Archeology and Museum Studies of the same university.
In 1998 Androshchuk defended his candidate's thesis on the topic of historical and cultural relations between Middle Dnieper and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, which was published as a book in 1999 under the title "Normans and Slavs in Podesenna". In the same year, he was invited by
Stockholm University
Stockholm University (SU) () is a public university, public research university in Stockholm, Sweden, founded as a college in 1878, with university status since 1960. With over 33,000 students at four different faculties: law, humanities, social ...
for a scientific internship in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
and the excavation of the
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9 ...
city of
Birka
Birka (''Birca'' in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö, Ekerö, Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of Continent ...
.
During his stay abroad, he became interested in the history of Scandinavian
weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
s as a historical source for the study of contacts between the populations of
Eastern
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
and
Northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
during the
Viking Age
The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
. During 2000–2007, he processed the funds of almost all major museum collections in
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. The results of these studies were published in separate books in 2013 and 2014.
Since 2000, Fedir Androshchuk's activities have been associated with several institutions in Sweden: Stockholm University (2000-2007),
Swedish History Museum
The Swedish History Museum () is a museum located in Stockholm, Sweden, that covers Swedish archaeology and cultural history from the Mesolithic period to present day. Founded in 1866, it operates as a government agency and is tasked with preservi ...
(2000-2006; 2014-2019), City Museum
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in the eponymous Sigtuna Municipality, in Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,689 inhabitants in 2020. It is the namesake even though the seat of the municipality is in another locality, Märsta.
S ...
(2006, 2010, 2011),
Uppsala University
Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
Initially fou ...
(2009—2014) and the private consulting enterprise Arkeologikonsult (2007–2009).
In 2013 and 2016 The books "Vikings in the East" and "Byzantium and the Viking World" were published in English by the publishing house of Uppsala University. In 2012, he was elected a valid member of the research panel of the Swedish Institute in Istanbul, and in 2017, a delegate from Sweden at the 18th Viking Congress.
In 2004, on the initiative of Fedir Androshchuk, an exhibition of copies of
rune stones
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition of erecting runestones as a memorial to dead men began in the 4th century and lasted int ...
"Vikings on the Eastern Way" was held on the basis of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Most of the museum's exhibits were included in the catalog "Scandinavian Antiquities of Southern Russia", which was published in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in 2012. Cooperation with the employees of the museum and the
NASU Institute of Archaeology
The Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine () is a research institute in Ukraine that is part of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It is the main institution with the academy that conducts research in the ...
were the main prerequisites for the release of both this catalog and the books "Vikings in the East" and "Viking Swords". The monograph "Swords of the Vikings" became the basis of the doctoral dissertation, which Fedir Androshchuk defended at the NASU Institute of Archaeology in 2014. (the opponent was
Anatoly Kirpichnikov
Anatoly Nikolaevich Kirpichnikov (25 June 1929 - 16 October 2020) was a Soviet and Russian archaeologist. Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR (1991). Honorary citizen of the Leningrad oblast (2013).
Biograp ...
).
In addition to history and archeology, Fedir Androshchuk's scientific interests include issues of
early medieval
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Middle Ages of Europ ...
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
. During 2014-2017, on the basis of the State Historical Museum of Sweden, he managed scientific projects aimed at studying silver
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
coins and their Scandinavian and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n imitations. The results of this work were published in the book "Images of Power", which was presented in October 2016 at the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve.
In 2017, the Kyiv publishing house Laurus published the book "Oseberg: Mysteries of the Royal Mound" by Fedir Androshchuk.
Androshchuk was published in the leading Ukrainian mass media on topics related to current issues of cultural heritage preservation, monument protection, and development of museums.
In 2020 elected as general director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. In his program and public speeches, he emphasizes the study of the Scandinavian experience in Ukrainian museology.
In 2020, the Laurus publishing house published the book "
Harald Hardrada
Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' in the sagas, was List of Norwegian monarchs, King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. He unsuccessfully claimed the Monarchy of Denma ...
— the last Viking", in which Fedir Androschuk describes the life of the Norwegian king XI century.
After the beginning of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
Androschuk was involved in saving the collections of both the museums he headed and other museums in the country. EAA evaluated his activities during this period as follows: ''"The efforts joint during the first weeks to protect and evacuate artefacts allowed for the safeguard of dozens of thousands of archaeological materials in danger, only in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, almost 120.000. Its team not only rushed to protect archaeological heritage in the first moments of the attack, helping other regional museums to do so, but as soon as it was safer, it has continued to conduct research, to open new exhibitions and to organise outreach activities, while monitoring looting cases"''.EUROPEAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE PRIZE 2023 /ref>
September 1, 2022 was elected a member of the executive board of
European Association of Archaeologists
The European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit association, open to archaeologists and other related or interested individuals or bodies in Europe and beyond. It was founded in 1994 at an inaugural meeting in ...
, the most powerful organization of professional archaeologists in Europe.
In 2024 Fedir left Ukraine on a business trip and did not return. He later stated that he was "on a business trip not in Sweden, but in Ukraine" and that he resigned from the National Museum because they were unable to extend his business trip, which was necessary to carry out the research project "Sweden and Ukraine in the History of Museum Collections and Exhibition Narratives" supported by Sweden.
Personal life
Androschuk has citizenship of Ukraine and Sweden. He speaks Ukrainian,
Russian
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
* 2016 – Certificate of thanks from the Minister of Culture of Ukraine for facilitating the return of the "Viking Sword" to Ukraine.
* 2023 – Individual Archaeological Heritage Prize of the
European Association of Archaeologists
The European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit association, open to archaeologists and other related or interested individuals or bodies in Europe and beyond. It was founded in 1994 at an inaugural meeting in ...
for leadership in the protection of Ukrainian archaeological heritage during the war, for commitment to raise awareness about the importance of archaeological heritage in these difficult moments and for overall professional and scientific profile.
Bibliography
Monographs
# Музей і національний проєкт. — Київ, 2024.
# Від вікінгів до Русі. — Київ: Laurus, 2022.
# Десятинна церква — відома та невідома. — Київ: Laurus, 2021.Десятинна церква: відома і невідома /ref>
# Гаральд Суворий — останній вікінг. — Київ: Laurus, 2020.
# Осеберг: загадки королевского кургана. — Київ: Laurus, 2017.
# Images of Power: Byzantium and Nordic Coinage, Paris-Kyiv 2016, c. 995–1035.
# Byzantium and the Viking World (Studia Byzantina Upsaliensia 18). Co-edited with Jonathan Shepard and Monica White, Uppsala 2016.
# Swords and Social Aspects of Weaponry in Viking Age societies, Stockholm 2014.
# Vikings in the East: Essays on the Contacts along the Road to Byzantium, Uppsala 2013.
# Мечи викингов. — Київ, 2013.
# Скандинавские древности Южной Руси. Каталог. — Paris, 2012.
# Нормани і слов'яни у Подесенні. Моделі культурної взаємодії доби раннього середньовіччя. — Київ, 1999.
Interviews, publications and comments in mass media
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
Science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
PDF
Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...
//
British Archaeology
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK. It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and fut ...
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
The Nikkei
''The Nikkei'', also known as , is the flagship publication of Nikkei, Inc. (based in Tokyo) and the world's largest financial newspaper, with a daily circulation exceeding 1.73 million copies. The Nikkei 225, a stock market index for the Tokyo ...
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
Ukrainska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...