What lessons does Ukraine have for the world today? How does its history resemble the histories and cultures of other post-colonial nations? Can Ukraine develop a new 21st-century ecoculture based on its folkloric traditions? This is a new episode of the Explaining Ukraine podcast from UkraineWorld. Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, speaks to Anna Pidgorna, a Ukrainian-Canadian singer and composer. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld. Support our humanitarian trips to the frontline areas: Paypal - ukraine.resisting@gmail.com

Pidhorna

What can Ukraine tell other postcolonial nations? - With Anna Pidgorna | Ep. 181

Although Russia claims to be waging a war against the so-called West, no other country has officially deployed its military to fight alongside Ukraine. Instead, thousands of individuals from across the globe have made the personal choice to join the Ukrainian defense. Who are these foreign volunteers risking their lives to fight the Russian invasion? What motivates them? What challenges do they face, both on the front lines and back home? How can international military cooperation be improved? 
You are listening to the Explaining Ukraine podcast.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet run by Internews Ukraine.

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Colin Freeman, freelance foreign affairs reporter for the Daily Telegraph. Colin has reported widely on British fighters in Ukraine. 

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.


***
CONTENTS:

00:03 Intro. The topic of the episode
01:43 Why studying the involvement of foreign soldiers in the Russian-Ukrainian war?
04:11 How many foreign soldiers are estimated to have fought for Ukraine, and why is it so difficult to get exact figures?
06:23 Do European governments encourage their citizens to fight in Ukraine, and how does their stance compare to Russia's recruitment of foreign fighters?
08:56 What is the primary motivation of foreign volunteers for fighting given their modest salary?
09:47 What different types of foreign volunteers exist, from professional soldiers seeking combat experience to "war tourists," and how useful were they on the battlefield?
14:08 Was the initial attempt to integrate foreign fighters through the International Legion largely a success or failure - or both?
15:29 What specific bureaucratic and logistical problems did the Ukrainian army face in integrating foreign volunteers, including language barriers and lack of preparation?
20:11 Why are home governments, like the British, seemingly hesitant to tap into the combat experience of their citizens returning from Ukraine?
26:54 Does the current "blindness" of European governments to this unique combat experience echo historical parallels, like the Spanish Civil War, with potential cultural and military consequences?
30:18 If Ukraine needs more soldiers, how can it improve its recruitment and integration of foreign volunteers to avoid the mistakes of 2022?
34:43 What crucial lessons should European militaries and governments learn from the foreign fighters' experiences in Ukraine for future conflicts?


Foreign Fighters in Ukraine: What Are Their Stories? - with Colin Freeman

I read this book with absolute passion. While it is a novel, it is truly an epic—the story of a family told through the greatest upheavals and disasters of the 20th century. Although it is set in Greece, we Ukrainians can deeply relate to this story: a narrative where global events shape your life far more than your own plans.

It is a novel about national conflicts and population displacements, fascism and communism, World War II, violence from all sides. It explores the trap of "revolutionary struggle," the dilemmas of duty versus life, and self-sacrifice versus human happiness.

The novel is called "Niki", and it was written by Christos Chomenidis, a prominent Greek writer. I was glad to meet him in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where he traveled at the invitation of the Greek embassy and his Ukrainian publisher. We sat down at PEN Ukraine and spoke about Europe, the past, the future, freedom, war, and peace.

This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine.

***
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Christos Chomenidis, a prominent, award-winning Greek writer. He has traveled to Ukraine despite the relentless Russian missile and drone strikes that regularly target the Ukrainian cities.

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.

Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
CONTENTS:

0:03 Intro
2:04 What brought prominent Greek writer Christos Chomenidis to Kyiv despite the ongoing war?
3:05 How does Chomenidis’ novel "Niki" weave together individual human stories with the challenging 20th-century history of Greece?
4:12 How does the experience of communism differ between Greece and Ukraine, and what forms did it take in each country?
5:56 How does the novel portray the act of destroying one's own house as a sacrifice to communist forces, and how is this understood today?
7:31 How does the novel explore the tension between duty to a greater cause and the pursuit of individual desires and happiness?
11:12 What main similarities does the author find between the Greek and Ukrainian peoples?
12:44 How did Chomenidis experience the fear of air raids in Kyiv, and what does it reveal about Ukrainian resilience?
15:28 Why was the Soviet Union, and even Stalin, romanticized in some Greek left-wing circles, and how does Chomenidis explain this perspective now?
17:41 How does modern Russian propaganda operate in Greece, and why do some Greek parties support Russia based on "zoopolitics"?
23:17 Do societies with a recent memory of authoritarianism have a stronger capacity or intuition to fight for freedom?
35:12 Why is democracy likened to a "baby"? What is freedom a "muscle" that requires constant, everyday struggle and care?
38:28 What gives Christos Chomenidis hope for the future amidst challenging times?


Greece, Ukraine, Communism, War, Europe - with Christos Chomenidis

Many things have changed this year. Ukraine is now striking targets deep inside Russian territory on a regular basis. Russia’s traditional strengths—its vast territory and abundant resources—are increasingly becoming liabilities. The war may be approaching a turning point. It is time to seriously consider that a Ukrainian victory is not only possible but also the only viable path to a lasting peace.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet run by Internews Ukraine.

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian intellectual and journalist, head of the international service of Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, lecturer at Kyiv Mohyla Academy and author of the podcast “L’Ukraine face a la guerre”, Ukraine facing the war, in French.

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
Contents:

00:04: Is the war approaching a turning point, and is Ukrainian victory the only viable path to lasting peace?
03:09: How have drones transformed the front line into an extended "kill zone," and what were the recent observations from Kherson?
07:52: Is Ukraine now scaling up its technological innovations to match or surpass Russia's quantity in warfare?
10:07: How are Ukrainian deep strikes impacting Russian territory, specifically oil refineries and fuel supply?
14:04: Why do Russian citizens react with confusion and blame towards their government, unlike Ukrainians who direct anger at the aggressor?
19:00: How does the Russian population describe the war's impact as an impersonal "natural disaster," avoiding direct political connections?
22:00: How is Ukraine strategically turning Russia's traditional strengths, such as vast territory and resources, into liabilities?
26:08: Can Ukraine's decentralized society and innovative use of cost-effective technology overcome Russia's military advantages?
30:08: What are the major challenges Ukraine faces, from Russian advances in Donbas to shifts in international political support?
33:19: Why should the discourse shift from "war and peace" to "war and victory" as Ukraine seeks to secure its future?


Is the War Approaching a Turning Point? - with Tetyana Ogarkova

When people look at this war from the outside, they often ask one question: When will it end? Many assume that if a ceasefire is reached, the war will be over and life will return to normal.

But we should not confuse a ceasefire with a lasting peace—or, more importantly, with a just peace that restores Ukraine’s rights. Thinking about a possible ceasefire, therefore, also means thinking about its risks, not only its opportunities.

This is the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. 

***
“Explaining Ukraine” is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet run by Internews Ukraine.

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guests: experts at Chatham House, the renowned London-based think tank: 
- Orysia Lutsevych, Head of the Ukraine Forum and Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme, and 
- John Lough, an Associate Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme. 

Together with their colleagues, Simon Smith and Keir Giles, they wrote a report, “How a Russia–Ukraine ceasefire could imperil Ukrainian and European security”. In this episode, we will talk about its major arguments. 

Read the Chatham House Report: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/how-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-could-imperil-ukrainian-and-european-security


***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
CONTENTS:
 
01:57: Why is discussing a ceasefire, rather than victory or justice, a risk for Ukraine and its partners?
02:48: How does Chatham House view the possibility of a ceasefire, despite having previously argued for Ukrainian victory?
04:27: Do current events in Russia and potential political shifts in the US make a ceasefire a more plausible scenario?
07:13: What are the critical risks for Ukraine, including its sovereignty, economy, and social fabric, in the event of a ceasefire?
11:31: Will European nations maintain their resolve against Russia, or will a ceasefire lead to a desire to return to "business as usual"?
15:07: How will Ukraine manage the challenges of internal resilience, veteran reintegration, and democratic elections during a potential ceasefire?
22:15: How can the international community prevent a temporary ceasefire from morphing into a permanent, unrecognized occupation, akin to historical examples?
26:50: Has the mood within Ukraine shifted, with increased confidence in its ability to reclaim territory and resist pressure for an unfavorable ceasefire?
31:21: What are Chatham House's key recommendations for Europe to enforce a ceasefire, deter Russia, and support Ukraine's security?
37:45: What strategic priorities and reforms should Ukraine undertake to build its future military force and integrate with Europe after a ceasefire?
42:16: What are the significant risks for Ukraine and Europe if a ceasefire is not achieved and the war continues indefinitely?
45:39: Can Ukraine leverage its technological advancements to achieve a decisive military defeat of Russia, or does continued conflict pose greater dangers?


What Are the Hidden Risks of a Ceasefire? We Asked Chatham House Experts

What values define Ukrainian society? How accurate is it to say that Ukrainians have high levels of horizontal trust—trust in one another—but low trust in public institutions? How should we understand power distance in Ukraine? Is corruption really as great a threat as it is often portrayed, or is its impact sometimes overstated? And how have these dynamics changed during the war?

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine. 
Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Maryna Starodubska, Kyiv-Mohyla Business School Adjunct Professor, cross-cultural interaction consultant, and author of the book "Understanding Ukrainians: Cross-Cultural Perspective" published in Ukrainian. 
Link: https://vivat.com.ua/product/yak-zrozumity-ukraintsiv-kroskulturnyi-pohliad/

Maryna is now preparing her new book, in English, called Ukraine Layer by Layer: Freedom and Friction in a Frontier Society. The book will be published by Ibidem Verlag in the series Ukrainian Voices in October 2026. 
Link: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/ukraine-layer-by-layer/9783838221175/

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
Contents:

00:03 What fundamental questions about Ukrainian society will this episode explore?
02:33 How can we describe Ukrainian society's values, particularly regarding horizontal trust versus institutional mistrust?
03:02 How has "double institutionalization" shaped Ukrainians' values and their approach to formal requirements versus "warm connections"?
04:19 In what ways has Ukraine's history as a "highly threatened culture" led to survival through close-knit communities and interpersonal trust?
04:58 How does "institutional dysfunction" explain the horizontal orientation of Ukrainians?
06:20 What are the three most pronounced values in Ukrainian national culture?
08:59 Has the war led to an explosion of "generalized trust" in Ukraine, moving beyond the traditional limited circles of trust?
11:59 How do Ukrainians differentiate their trust levels across protective, infrastructural, and local institutions?
15:29 Is Ukraine moving in the right direction to reduce its "power distance" by bringing leaders closer to citizens, as seen with figures like President Zelensky?
16:59 How does Ukraine's high power distance manifest through the importance of status and the desire for strong leaders who deliver justice?
21:21 Do external metrics and surveys, often influenced by Western "premonitions," accurately capture the complexities of Ukrainian society and its institutions?
25:16 How do collectivism and situational individualism coexist in Ukrainian society, affecting interactions with in-group versus out-group members?
28:12 How do effective institutions in Ukraine, such as administrative service centers, gain trust by focusing on fairness, justice, and tangible outcomes?
31:27 Is the perception of corruption in Ukraine often overestimated, and how might it be influenced by inherited mistrust rather than actual encounters?
39:01 What key insights and framework does Marina Starodubska's new book, "Ukraine Layer by Layer," offer to help professional readers understand the country better?


What You Need to Know About Ukrainian Society - with Maryna Starodubska

Why should we take Russian propaganda seriously? Why is it so deeply rooted in Russia’s authoritarian vision of society and politics? What lessons can we learn from Russia’s war against Ukraine about information warfare? And how should the West change its strategies — and do so quickly?

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine. 

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Thomas Kent, a leading expert on Russian propaganda, disinformation, and journalistic ethics. He is a former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and spent many years at the Associated Press. His latest book, published in August 2026, is called The Propaganda Manual of the Ukraine War: Information Warfare by Russia, Ukraine, and Western Nations — Lessons Learned for Future Conflicts. In this episode we will talk about this book. 
Link to the book: https://www.afpc.org/publications/books/the-propaganda-manual-of-the-ukraine-war-information-warfare-by-russia-ukraine-and-western-nations-lessons-learned-for-future-conflicts

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents:

0:00 Intro
1:59 What is Thomas Kent's new book about and why did he decide to write it? 
3:51 Does Russia have a long and deeply rooted tradition of propaganda essential to its state survival? 
5:39 How does Russia view information, not as a tool for peace, but as a weapon of war? 
6:32 How have Ukraine's information operations been more successful compared to Western efforts? 
7:38 Why has the West's communication been "muddled" due to a lack of clear strategy for the war? 
9:53 What factors led to the West's loss of confidence in conveying its message to an international audience? 
12:07 How does propaganda make messages credible by leveraging existing beliefs and using "unified theories"? 
15:13 What are the tactics of "laundering information" and "hijacking credible sources" to spread propaganda? 
17:22 How effectively has Russia used the fear of nuclear attack to deter Western aid to Ukraine? 
20:23 How has Ukraine successfully leveraged humor and wit as an "important currency" in information warfare? 
23:00 What is "strategic imagination" and other key strengths of Russia's information operations? 
29:02 What were Russia's key failures in information warfare, particularly in defending its reputation and influencing Ukrainians? 
33:59 What are Ukraine's strengths in information warfare, including its virtuous cause, courage, and creative fundraising tactics? 
36:53 What are Thomas Kent's recommendations for the West to improve its information strategies, including the need for a clear strategy, volume, cleverness, and physical world activity?


Unmasking Russian Propaganda - with Thomas Kent

How can Ukraine protect itself against Russia’s ballistic missile threat? What role can Europe play, particularly through joint production? Can Ukraine develop its own anti-ballistic missile? And who is winning this war now?

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guest: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a renowned Ukrainian security expert and former deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

CONTENTS:
00:00 | Intro
01:18 | How should we interpret the current war situation to avoid extreme optimism or pessimism? 
03:13 | Why does Putin consistently escalate, and what does this mean for Ukraine's path to victory? 
05:28 | What immediate solutions can counter Russia's ballistic missile threat, including targeting mobile launchers and developing Ukraine's own systems? 
06:39 | How can Europe effectively respond to ballistic missile threats by treating them as a shared European concern? 
08:30 | Why do different European countries perceive the Russian threat so differently, despite the reach of Russia's missiles? 
11:09 | Who is gaining the upper hand in the economic dimension of the war, and can economic pressure compel Putin to de-escalate? 
19:30 | Are old technologies like ballistic missiles overshadowing new drone warfare, or is it a complex mix of capabilities? 
21:18 | Should Ukraine intensify attacks on Russia's military production facilities rather than its general economy? 
23:54 | Can Ukraine realistically close Russia's export capacities in the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, and what historical parallels exist? 
32:05 | What are the best options for Ukraine to develop anti-ballistic missile capabilities, considering international licensing and domestic production? 
36:03 | How is the United States' evolving role impacting European security, and why must Europe take greater responsibility for its own defense? 
43:05 | What immediate and long-term priorities should guide joint Ukrainian-European efforts to bolster defense against current and future threats?


The War, Without Illusions - with Andriy Zagorodnyuk

How did the vastness of the Eurasian steppe shape the political model of Russian imperialism? What does the Russian Empire have in common with other Eurasian empires — the Ottoman, Persian, Mughal, Chinese, and others? What are the roots of Russia’s assimilationist imperialism and its claims to global domination? And why is the Russian political model so deeply rooted in the logic of war and military conquest?

***
“Thinking in dark times” is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Michael Khodarkovsky, an American historian of Ukrainian origin and one of the leading scholars of Russian and Eurasian history.

We talk about his new book, The Steppe and Its Empires: The Russian Empire and Its Eurasian Counterparts, published by Yale University Press in 2026. In this book, Khodarkovsky looks at Russia not so much through its relationship with Europe, but by comparing it with the empires of Eurasia — the Ottoman, Persian, Mughal, and Chinese empires. 
Book: https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300284386/the-steppe-and-its-empires/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
CONTENTS:
00:04 Intro
00:00:45 Who is Michael Khodarkovsky and what is his new book, "The Steppe and Its Empires," about?
01:52 Why should Russia be studied in the context of Eurasian empires, not European ones?
05:38 How do Eurasian empires like Russia, Persia, or China broaden our understanding of imperialism and colonialism beyond the Western maritime empires?
10:26 How did the Eurasian steppe influence the Russian Empire's identity and its expansionist drive?
15:38 What is the "include and rule" principle of Eurasian empires, and how did it differ from Western "divide and rule" strategies?
18:07 Did Russia have feudalism, and how did its lack of feudalism differentiate it from Western European states and even Ukraine?
25:51 What is the concept of "universal monarchy" in Eurasian empires, and how did it separate them from Western monarchies?
33:23 Why were Eurasian empires, particularly Russia, "organized for war" rather than "organized for law"?
39:13 What factors allowed Russia to build such a highly centralized state, even more so than other Eurasian empires?
45:51 What is Ukraine's unique place in the historical narrative of steppe and Eurasian empires, especially concerning its dual nomadic and sedentary influences?


The Steppe Origins of Russian Imperialism - with Michael Khodarkovsky

Ukrainian traditional music has preserved one of the richest traditions of polyphonic singing in the world. It has survived centuries of oppression, oblivion, marginalisation, and even physical extermination.
Despite all this, there have always been people in Ukraine who travelled to villages, talked to local singers, listened to their songs, and recorded them. Thanks to their work, this tradition remains alive — not only in the villages themselves, but also in archival recordings, on stage, and increasingly in modern interpretations.
Today, we are going to talk about this extraordinary tradition. You are listening to the Explaining Ukraine podcast.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine.
Guests: Mariana Sadovska, one of Ukraine’s best-known singers, musicians, and cultural activists, Andre Erlen, a German theatre director. They are currently travelling through the villages of southern Ukraine, collecting and recording more songs.
We met in Odesa at the PORT cultural festival, where Mariana and Andre created an extraordinary performance featuring musicians from villages across Ukrainian Bessarabia — people of Bulgarian, Romanian, Moldovan, Gagauz, and other backgrounds.

This episode is recorded and produced with the support from the Mnozhyna foundation. 


***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.


The Magic of Ukrainian Traditional Music - with Mariana Sadovska and André Erlen

Studying Ukrainian history can be far more fascinating than you might think. It can reveal deeper layers of our past than we ever imagined and help us better understand the history of humanity as a whole.
It can help us grasp why the interaction between settled and nomadic cultures has been so important throughout human history. Why some of the world's earliest proto-cities emerged in what is now central Ukraine. Why the origins of the Indo-European languages might lie here, too. And why Ukraine, situated between the vast forests and the vast steppe, on the shores of the Black Sea, has been a crossroads through which so many peoples have passed, shaping both our past and our present.

This is the Explaining Ukraine podcast.

***
Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine.

Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

Guest: Timothy Snyder, the renowned American historian and thinker, the author of “Bloodlands”, “On Freedom”, “Black Earth” and many other books. 

We recorded this conversation in Kyiv, on the sidelines of the Yalta European Strategy forum and ahead of the annual conference of the Ukrainian History Global Initiative.

***
Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine 
UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en 

***
SUPPORT: 
You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld  
Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.
You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.
Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***
CONTENTS:
00:05 - Introduction: What makes Ukrainian history so uniquely fascinating and revealing about humanity's past? 
02:54 - Beyond Modern Anxiety: How does a deep historical perspective alleviate present-day anxieties about Ukraine's identity? 
05:03 - Starting Points: Where should one truly begin to tell the extensive narrative of Ukrainian history?
06:12 - The Right to Exist: Does Ukraine's right to exist depend on proving its historical longevity? 
09:51 - Ancient Echoes: How do ancient figures like Achilles and Amazons connect to modern Ukrainian identity and military units? 
12:23 - Geography's Enduring Influence: How has Ukraine's unique geography shaped the historical tension between settled and nomadic cultures? 
13:36 - Early Civilizations: What were the origins and significance of Ukraine's first proto-cities after the Ice Age? 
15:24 - Clash and Creation: How did the encounter between Cucuteni-Trypillia culture and Yamna culture contribute to linguistic revolutions like the emergence of the Proto-Indo-European languages? 
17:20 - Goddesses and Old Europe: What do ancient Ukrainian mother goddess cults reveal about "Old Europe" and its feminine spiritual traditions? 
22:06 - Gender and Mergers: Was the interaction between ancient cultures more of a creative merger than a simple patriarchal conquest? 
24:45 - Concepts of Time: How did Trypillia's circular understanding of time differ from Yamna's linear marking of time through kurgans? 
29:40 - The Puzzle of Continuity: How can we write a coherent history for Ukraine despite apparent gaps and discontinuities in its cultural and linguistic past? 
32:31 - A Cradle of Languages: Why Ukraine can be seen as a cradle of languages that repeatedly saw returns of Indo-European cultures 
38:06 - Borderland or Center?: Can Ukraine be re-envisioned not merely as a borderland, but as a central "attraction zone" for diverse cultures and ideas?


Timothy Snyder on the Deep Layers of Ukrainian History

A podcast by UkraineWorld.org, a multimedia project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine, its politics, society and its culture. Support us: patreon.com/ukraineworld

What can Ukraine tell other postcolonial nations? - With Anna Pidgorna | Ep. 181

UkraineWorld

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