There is a striking parallel between the Russian war crimes in Syria and Ukraine. In both cases, the Russian army has been using extreme violence not to achieve military means, but to intimidate people and impose a tyrannical power over them through fear. 

Our guest today is Raji Abdul Salam, a legal data archive analyst with experience in documenting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and attempted genocides in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. Currently, he works as the chief legal data archivist at The Reckoning Project (https://www.thereckoningproject.com/)

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

UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is a multilingual media about Ukraine produced by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s largest media NGOs.

Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine

This episode is made in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute.

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ukraineworld – we offer exclusive content for our patrons.
You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Russian war crimes in Syria and Ukraine: similar patterns?

We should look at wars not to build hierarchies but to understand something important about humans. Where does the violence come from? How to prevent it? What to do when it is already there? How can we defend ourselves and others? 

For this episode, we invited an award-winning writer V.V. Ganeshananthan. Her novel "Brotherless Night" tells a story of the civil war in Sri Lanka that has lasted for more than 25 years. The book won Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024 and the Asian Prize for Fiction in 2023. In this conversation we tried to connect war experiences in Sri Lanka and Ukraine. 

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

Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, a media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, and based in Kyiv. 

You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial as our media increasingly relies on crowdfunding.

You can also support our volunteer trips to the front-line areas, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians - mainly by bringing cars for soldiers and books for civilians. You can support our trips via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

This episode was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation.

"Brotherless Night": https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453754/brotherless-night-by-ganeshananthan-v-v/9780241997673

Ukraine, Sri Lanka, and the War Experience - with V. V. Ganeshananthan

What lessons can we draw from the Ukrainian experience? Why is Ukraine not only a place of suffering and fight, but also a place of thinking and creation? Why is the cultural renaissance so strong during the war? What does it mean to think in dark times?

Lecture by Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine, at the Institute for Human Sciences (Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen) in Vienna on May 6th, 2025. 

Moderator and host: Ludger Hagedorn, Permanent Fellow at IWM. 

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

You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial for us as we rely a lot on crowdfunding.

You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver support for both soldiers and civilians. You can donate via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com


Thinking in Dark Times. Lessons from Ukraine. - Volodymyr Yermolenko at IWM in Vienna

In this episode, we will explore the life and works of Oleksandra Ekster, a prominent Ukrainian avant-garde artist of the early 20th century. We will discuss cubofuturism, the cultural identity of Kyiv, the role of women in Ukrainian art, and the connections between Ukrainian and European avant-garde art.

Our guest for this episode is Anna Lodygina, a Ukrainian art historian and journalist. She recently published a book in Ukrainian titled "Stories of Ukrainian Artists: Oleksandra Ekster." This conversation is moderated by Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar and journalist, author of the podcast "L’Ukraine face a la guerre" (Ukraine facing the war) in French, and head of international outreach at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre.

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

You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. 
Your support is crucial for us as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide support for both soldiers and civilians. You can donate via PayPal, ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action.


Exploring Ukrainian avant-garde: Oleksandra Ekster

Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion has once again brought to light an old topic: the cruelty of Russian imperialism—both past and present.

In this episode, we explore the major historical periods and defining features of Russian imperialism since the 16th century. This conversation will help you understand that Ukraine’s experience is one of the most visible examples, but by no means the only one.

Our guest today is Donnacha Ó Beacháin, an Irish political scientist, professor at Dublin City University, and author of the recent book "Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad" (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/unfinished-empire/9781788218016/)

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

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


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

You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Related episodes: 

Time to rethink Russian cultural imperialism - with Vitaly Chernetsky
https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-305

5 things to know about Russian imperialism 
https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-201

Rethinking Imperialism 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EDqaafPqm5DnEtsw8sswu


A Brief History of Russian Imperialism – with Donnacha Ó Beacháin

We had a conversation with Anne Applebaum a few months ago on this podcast about her book "Autocracy, Inc".—be sure to check it out: https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-332

The current episode features a public conversation on similar themes: the crisis of democracy, the rise of new autocracies, Trump’s pro-Russian stance, and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It was recorded as a keynote discussion at the Lviv Media Forum—one of Ukraine’s major media events—in May 2025 (https://lvivmediaforum.com/en)

We’re now publishing it as part of our Thinking in Dark Times series at UkraineWorld.

Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and political analyst.

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

You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.

Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

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


Anne Applebaum on Trump, Ukraine, and Russia

Does Ukraine have freedom of speech during the war? How are the media surviving under such harsh conditions? How do media perspectives within Ukraine compare to those from outside the country?

Guest: Ola Myrovych, CEO of the Lviv Media Forum—one of the largest media events in Ukraine. We’re recording this conversation during the forum itself, in May 2025, in Lviv.

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

The “Explaining Ukraine” podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.

You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.

Your support is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide assistance to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

Ukrainian Media During the War – with Ola Myrovych

Democracy is fragile today. Yet it is not confined to a single place, a specific country, or a particular political system. The democratic promise remains far from fully realized. Still, we can find hope in the idea that when democracy retreats in one part of the world, it may grow stronger in another.

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

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

Guest: Aman Sethi, an Indian journalist and the editor-in-chief of openDemocracy—an independent international media platform based in London.
We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum in May 2025, in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.

You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.
Your support is vital, 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.

This episode is produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country’s leading institution for cultural diplomacy.


Ukraine and Democracy in the Global World – with Aman Sethi

Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black American journalist who spends much of his time in Ukraine. He knows the country intimately.

He also recognizes the striking parallels between the experiences of Ukrainians and Black Americans in the United States. For centuries, both groups have endured systemic violence and humiliation—sometimes overt, sometimes hidden—that have pushed them into subordinate roles within societies dominated by others.

In this episode, we explore these shared struggles and work toward fostering a deeper understanding between the two communities.

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

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

We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum, in May 2025 in Lviv, the Western part of Ukraine.

You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld.
Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

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


Black Americans and Ukrainians: Unexpected Parallels – with Terrell Jermaine Starr

We need a fresh perspective on propaganda. The old strategies for combating misinformation are no longer effective. Simply offering fact-checks isn’t enough—those ensnared by propaganda aren’t searching for facts. They’re searching for something deeper: identity, belonging, and meaning.

This is the central argument of a new book by Peter Pomerantsev, a renowned scholar of propaganda and information warfare. "How to Win an Information War" tells the story of British journalist Sefton Delmer, who developed innovative techniques to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II. Peter explores Delmer’s legacy in hopes of uncovering lessons for today. Perhaps we, too, can learn something from both of them.

Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter-pomerantsev/how-to-win-an-information-war/9781541774728/

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

***

UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs. 

You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is crucial, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly contribution of $5 or $10 can make a meaningful difference.

You can also help fund our regular volunteer missions to Ukraine’s front-line areas, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians—primarily by providing vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, donations can be made via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

The podcast episode is created by Internews Ukraine as part of the project “Strengthening Truth, Transparency and Democracy to Counter Disinformation”, supported by the Government of Canada.

***

CONTENTS: 

00:00:00 — What if fact-checks don’t work anymore?
0:01:52 — He, who fooled Hitler. Meet Sefton Delmer
00:05:28 — Why did we forget those who understand what propaganda is?
00:07:05 — Why propaganda keeps coming back
00:09:59 — Why did the Nazis win those who lost their identity?
00:11:42 — Are you wearing the mask or is it glued to your face? 
00:13:57 — Think you're immune? That’s when propaganda hits
00:16:29 — To beat propaganda, you have to be vulnerable to it
00:18:55 — The real battle isn’t between freedom and unfreedom, but about what kind of “us” we build? 
00:22:50 —  Delmer’s radio war 
00:25:53 — Weaponizing corruption: Delmer’s strategy to weaken Nazi loyalty
00:30:41 — “We know you better than they do”
00:33:28 — Tuning in = waking up: breaking the Nazi spell with masquerade
00:35:38 — What makes Kremlin elites panic? Not war - but losing control
00:39:39 — How to break Russian support for war? 
00:44:24 — Forget regime change - exploit fear of losing grip
00:47:44 — Angry? Frustrated? That’s where good media begins
00:50:02 — Do I want to die for this? The question Delmer planted in Nazi minds
00:51:00 — Propaganda, trauma, and the fight for independent thought



How to win an information war? - with Peter Pomerantsev

Some might argue that the concept of evil is outdated in our relativistic age. And yet—how can we speak of war crimes, cruelty, or the neglect of human dignity without invoking the word evil? Perhaps it’s time to take it seriously again, to revisit the thinkers who have grappled with its meaning.

One of them, of course, is Hannah Arendt.

This is a conversation about Hannah Arendt and the concept of evil, which took place in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on June 1st, at the Kyiv Book Arsenal—one of the country’s major literary events. Despite the ongoing war, the fair was full of people.

My guest was Marci Shore, an American intellectual, historian, and university professor. She specializes in 20th-century European intellectual history, with a particular focus on Hannah Arendt. This year, Marci co-curated the Kyiv Book Arsenal’s focus topic, alongside Oksana Forostyna.

My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.

UkraineWorld is an English language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs.

***

You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld

Your support is vital, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly donation can make a big difference.

You can also help fund our regular volunteer trips to Ukraine’s front-line areas, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians—mainly by delivering vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, you can donate via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.

***

Contents:

00:00 Intro
01:18 Support our work
04:44 Why is Hannah Arendt essential to understanding the 20th and 21st centuries?
06:16 What is Hannah Arendt's concept of 'radical evil'?
07:48 How are people made superfluous?
10:12 How has World War II shaped Arendt’s thought?
17:17 From “radical evil” to the “banality of evil”: connecting Arendt’s key concepts.
26:34 Marci Shore on the current situation in America
30:46 Thoughts on human dignity
32:14 Is the idea that 'everyone is replaceable' starting to repeat itself?
34:49 Why Sartre’s idea of “nothingness” might be dangerous?
42:14 Hannah Arendt: vita activa versus vita contemplativa
50:15 Outro

Hannah Arendt on evil: what can we learn from her today? - with Marci Shore

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

Russian war crimes in Syria and Ukraine: similar patterns?

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