Today’s guest is a native of Sevastopol: Anton Shekhovtsov, Director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity, and author of the book ‘Russia and the Western Far Right’.

In this episode, he tells about Russian imperialist mythology and how the insane propaganda of Ukraine’s de-Nazification came about; the new status of Belarus as a mere vassal state; desertion as a political option; and how western elites have abandoned their alliances with Vladimir Putin – with a few notable exceptions.

This podcast episode is a condensed and edited version of a longer conversation, which is available in its entirety only to our Patrons, featuring bonus material about the Biden administration’s non-interventionist stance and Donal Trump’s surprising comments on Putin’s tactical genius.

You can become a patron by pledging as little as 5 euros a month, or more for even more giveaways and exclusive content on Patreon at patreon.com/eurozine

Read more in Eurozine about Ukraine: https://www.eurozine.com/tag/ukraine/

Find Anton Shekhovtsov’s petition to Western universities here: https://www.change.org/p/western-universities-give-preference-to-ukrainian-applicants-to-western-universities-in-the-year-2022

His articles in Eurozine: https://www.eurozine.com/authors/anton-shekhovtsov/

His piece in Falter on Russia’s Big Lie: https://www.falter.at/zeitung/20220227/russlands-grosse-luege 

And talking to Bloomberg’s Lionel Laurent:
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-28/putin-had-lots-of-friends-among-europe-s-elite-many-have-now-gone-quiet

You can follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/A_SHEKH0VTS0V

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

Putin's big lie and his allies that didn’t last

In this episode of Gagarin, director André Wilkens talks about the state of the European project ahead of Europe Day or Schumann Day on the 9th of May. The director of the European Cultural Foudation points out how Putin's war on Ukraine reminds Europe of why it needed to unite in the first place; the role of cultural workers in the crisis of war and destruction; and ultimately, what one can celebrate on Europe Day when the very integrity of the European Project is being contested. 

Spoiler: André Wilkens wants a public holiday dedicated specifically to celebrate and reflect on the European Union. And don’t we all?

This episode is a condensed and edited version of a longer conversation, which is available in its entirety only to our Patrons, featuring bonus material about what European youth have been afraid of – and how their concerns have quickly shifted. You can get access to the full episode, and more giveaways by becoming a Patron for as little as €5 a month at patreon.com/eurozine

You can find the programme of this year's Europe Day at https://europeday.eu/
Or get information about the Cultura of Solidarity Grant of the ECF dedicated to supporting cultural workers affected by the war in Ukraine: https://culturalfoundation.eu/stories/culture-of-solidarity-fund-ukraine-edition/

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

Why it united in the first place - André Wilkens on the unimaginable

Ukrainian artists are pressured by their international peers who still entertain the naive idea that the purpose of culture is reconciliation.
They have to push back against these naive initiatives, but walk a tightrope as they need to nevertheless keep western attention, says curator and art historian Kateryna Botanova.

This episode is a condensed and edited version of a longer conversation, which is available in its entirety only to our Patrons, featuring bonus material about what European youth have been afraid of – and how their concerns have quickly shifted. You can get access to the full episode, and more giveaways by becoming a Patron for as little as €5 a month at patreon.com/eurozine

You can read Kateryna Botanova's article in Eurozine, including the two she discusses in this episode:
The art of misunderstanding, 2 January 2023 
https://www.eurozine.com/the-art-of-misunderstanding/
Defined by silence: The Ukrainian art that was destroyed - and the art that never happened 
6 May 2022 https://www.eurozine.com/defined-by-silence/

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

Refusing victimhood and commanding attention: Kateryna Botanova

The centuries-old debate over whether certain countries belong to the East or the centre of Europe has fairly little to do with geography. In this extended episode, exclusively available to our Patrons, anthropologist Iván Kalmár discusses privilege and its fight against equality; race and cultural hegemony, and more.

You can read Iván Kalmár's article, the basis of this conversation, in Eurozine: https://www.eurozine.com/imitators-spurned/

This episode has a longer, extended version available only to our Patrons. You can become a patron by pleadging as little as €5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/Eurozine

You can also subscribe to the Eurozine Newsletter, so you'll always know what's worth thinking about: https://www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

The fight to be white

Although it makes for a great dramatic effect, the theories of the sudden death of democracy disregard the gradual erosion and capture of institutions, and the role of the populace - argues political scientist John Keane.

Keane, a key theoretician of media history joins from his home in Melbourne, Australia to discuss his article, 'How democracies die, fast and slow'. 
https://www.eurozine.com/how-democracies-die-fast-and-slow/

A longer version of this conversation with bonus material is available to Eurozine's patrons. Support our work with as little as €5/month or more to access extra content and help sustain this publication that connects you with over 100 publications from across Europe. https://www.patreon.com/Eurozine

Today's topic is the keynote article Eurozine's new focal point, 'The writing on the wall'. In it, Keane and Co. discuss the challenges democracies fact worldwide. On a more practical note, analyses map the state of democratic governance in Serbia, Moldova, Croatia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Brazil and Greece - and more are to come. https://www.eurozine.com/focal-points/writing-on-the-wall/

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

The myth of sudden death - John Keane on democracies

The European experience has changed in biblical proportions in the past year. A major land war in Ukraine, instances of genocide, and the continued rise of anti-democratic political movements pose more than a mere challenge. On the other hand, the introduction of AI to the general public is yet not fully understood. All of these are framed by the increasing disruptions of the climate crisis. Where to, then, for Project Europe? André Wilkens returns to the pod to identify opportunities among the threats and to announce a major new project.

A longer version of this conversation with bonus material is available to Eurozine's patrons. Support our work with as little as €5/month or more to access extra content and help sustain this publication that connects you with over 100 publications from across Europe. www.patreon.com/Eurozine

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

No turning a blind eye - André Wilkens on making things happen

Overlapping crises, enforced political passivity and a new political normal: all things that gradually dismantle a democracy. Long standing Eurozine contributor, historian Ferenc Laczó joins editor-in-chief Réka Kinga Papp to discuss how a democracy can be alive and dead at the same time. 

Laczó took part in the discussion about how democracies die in the Eurozine focal point ‘The writing on the wall’ with his article 'How democracies transform, fast and slow' : https://www.eurozine.com/how-democracies-transform-fast-and-slow/

A longer version of this conversation with bonus material is available to Eurozine's patrons. Support our work with as little as €5/month or more to access extra content and help sustain this publication that connects you with over 100 publications from across Europe. www.patreon.com/Eurozine

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more people can find us. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so you’ll always know what’s worth thinking about: www.eurozine.com/newsletter/

Living dead democracy - Ferenc Laczó on democide

Clock times and social times conflict across much of Europe. Timekeeping is a deeply political matter, and João Lipinsky Nunes of Better Times takes issue with them.

This conversation is a bonus to accompany our talk show episode on timekeeping from our Standard Time production: https://www.eurozine.com/its-about-time/

Please subscribe, like this episode and check out Standard Time at eurozine.com/standardtime

Time zones are out of joint

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No turning a blind eye - André Wilkens on making things happen

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