On April 22, 2026, the “Center for Unity and National Resistance” platform in Donetsk Oblast, in collaboration with the Department of Family, Youth, and Mass Events for National-Patriotic Education of the Regional State Administration, held an educational lecture titled “The Curtailment of the Hetmanate’s Autonomy” as part of a free preparatory course for the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) in Ukrainian history.
The event brought together dozens of high school students from Donetsk Oblast who, despite all challenges, continue to demonstrate a high level of motivation to learn and a desire to know the true history of their people.
Guest speaker Iryna Yelfimova, a teacher from the Vuhledar community, spoke in detail about one of the most pivotal periods in 18th-century Ukrainian history. During the session, the lecturer focused in detail on the stages of the gradual restriction of self-government in Ukrainian lands by the Russian Empire. She paid particular attention to the activities of the First and Second Little Russian Collegiums, the reforms of Peter I, and the final abolition of the hetmanate system during the reign of Catherine II in 1764.
The event culminated in an interactive game on the Kahoot platform. This format allowed participants to test their knowledge in real time, compete in the speed of their responses, and reinforce complex material through gamification. The winners of the game gained additional confidence in their abilities ahead of future challenges.
At the end of the event, Iryna Yelfimova emphasized that studying the topic of the erosion of autonomy is critically important for understanding Ukraine’s current struggle for independence, as historical parallels help to better appreciate the value of one’s own statehood.