The team at the Explaining Ukraine podcast is traveling through the villages in towns around Kyiv which heavily suffered from the battles in March. We describe our impressions and share the stories told to us by people who lived through the war. Here is the story of Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Medi...
Jun 28, 2022•28 min
In this episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast, we ask whether Russian actions in Ukraine amount to genocide. Our guest is Christopher Atwood, a researcher at the Harriman Institute of Columbia University, and a contributor and advisor to a report on Russia's breaches of the genocide convention in Ukraine, recenently published by the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief edit...
Jun 27, 2022•48 min
In our new weekly digest we look back into the key lessons from the 4 months of Russia’s full-scale invasion. We analyze why Ukraine’s EU membership candidacy is important for Ukraine and the whole region. We also draw attention to Russia’s intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach of Ukrain...
Jun 26, 2022•31 min
Is Russian propaganda responsible for the current Russian atrocities against Ukraine? How has it tried to dehumanize its enemies, and has it succeeded? Chief editor of UkraineWorld.org Volodymyr Yermolenko talks to Vitalii Rybak, UkraineWorld’s chief analyst. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld Our live coverage of Russian propaganda / disinformation narratives: https://ukraineworld.org/articles/infowatch/disinformation-warfare Watch our vi...
Jun 23, 2022•29 min
In this episode we are asking what one can learn by looking at Ukraine from America. Our guest for this episode is Marci Shore, American historian and scholar, associate professor at Yale University where she teaches modern European intellectual history. She has written, among other works, The Taste of Ashes: The Afterlife of Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe, and The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and chief editor of Ukraine...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Dana Pavlychko, chief editor of the Osnovy Publishing, and founder of the podcast Osnovy Show, talks to Volodymyr Yermolenko, host of the Explaining Ukraine podcast. They discuss the wicked, negative, lose-lose, imperialist, and expansionist logic of the Russian Federation in a new episode of The War Special by Osnovy Show.
Jun 20, 2022•47 min
With this episode, we’re starting a series of weekly podcasts, in which we’re making an overview of key events in or around Ukraine during the past week. This episode is focused on 13-19 June, 2022. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach of Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. UkraineWorld is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us on patreon.com/ukrai...
Jun 20, 2022•13 min
In this episode of the Explaining Ukraine podcast, we will talk about Germany and its indecisive stance with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why is Germany reluctant to engage more with Ukraine, to supply arms Ukrainians are asking for, and to acknowledge that its traditional policy of seeking compromise with Russia has failed? Our guests are the famous German politicians Marieluise Beck and Ralf Fücks, co-founders of the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin. We are holding this con...
Jun 15, 2022•39 min
Our episode about Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, located 40 km from the Russian border. Kharkiv has severely suffered from the Russian shelling, and is still bombed almost every day. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld Video version on youtube, with videos from the city: https://www.youtube.com/wa...
Jun 13, 2022•28 min
What should we know about Russian imperialism? How is it connected to Russian nationalism? What does it have in common with other imperialisms in recent history, and how is it different? Volodymyr Yermolenko, host of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast and chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, welcomes Vera Tolz, professor of Russian studies at the University of Manchester, and the author of numerous works on Russia, Russian history, and Russian media discourse. – UkraineWorld is brought to you by Inte...
Jun 09, 2022•50 min
400 million people around the world depend on food which comes from Ukraine. Russia has not only attacked Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of civilians, but has also blocked Ukrainian sea ports, through which the country exports 90 million tons of food annually. How is this Russian blockade threatening a global food crisis, and what should be done about it? We discuss these topics in our new episode of the Explaining Ukraine podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld....
Jun 07, 2022•25 min
100 days of the full-scale war, 8 years since Russia’s first invasion in 2014: the war does not seem to end soon. We draw some conclusions from the 100 days and analyse how it can proceed in the future. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us a...
Jun 03, 2022•27 min
Kazymyr Malevych, Oleksandr Arkhypenko, Sonia Delaunay, Oleksandra Exter, Dziga Vertov, Oleksandr Dovzhenko: these names from Ukrainian avant-garde art of the early 20th century enriched European and global art history. However, they are too often known in the world as “Russian avant-garde”. In this episode, we explain why it this is not the case. Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, speaks with Tetyana Filevska, creative director of the Ukrainian Institute, and a well-known U...
Jun 01, 2022•37 min
What are the causes of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine? Are they found in the developments of the past decades or in the deeper past? Why is this invasion a sign of Russian weakness? Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patreon...
May 31, 2022•27 min
Why does the world know so little about Ukrainian cultural heritage? Can Ukraine offer a new dimension to European and global culture? What are the topics central to the Ukrainian culture? Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, spoke to Volodymyr Sheiko, director general of the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine’s key cultural diplomacy institution. This episode is made with support of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukr...
May 27, 2022•34 min
Three months have passed since Russia started its invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, we draw some key conclusions. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patreon.com/ukraineworld
May 24, 2022•46 min
How can we describe the Ukrainian political culture? In which way is it rooted in the European political traditions? How is it different from the Russian political culture? Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, spoke to Vakhtang Kebuladze, a well-known Ukrainian philosopher, professor at Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. This episode is made with support of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support...
May 23, 2022•40 min
We are hearing calls from some political leaders from across the globe calling “not to humiliate” Russia and help Putin save the face. In this episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast we argue why it is wrong. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukra...
May 19, 2022•41 min
How can we rethink cultural imperialism and colonialism today? How can Russian imperialism be described? Is the Ukrainian culture part of the European heritage? Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, spoke to Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, director of Mystetskyi Arsenal (Art Arsenal), one of the most reputable Ukrainian cultural institutions. This episode is made with support of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Su...
May 18, 2022•46 min
We traveled in the villages near Kyiv, which were occupied by the Russian forces in March: Ploske, Bobryk, Velyka Dymerka and others. We have talked to local residents including those who stayed under the Russian occupation. In our new episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast we tell you what we have heard and seen. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is in charge of int...
May 16, 2022•47 min
Can geopolitics explain Russia’s war against Ukraine? Does the idea of “great powers’ struggle” help us understand its nature and causes? Is this war about the confrontation of values, interests, civilizations or something else? In the new episode of “Explaining Ukraine” podcast Volodymyr Yermolenko, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, talks with Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat, director of the Kyiv Security Forum. UkraineWorld.org is brought to you by Internews Ukraine. Support us at patre...
May 13, 2022•50 min
Ukrainian culture is deeply rooted in the European cultural and intellectual traditions. In this episode of our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast, we are highlighting the most important of them: from Antiquity and Middle ages, through the Baroque and Romanticism, to the avant-garde art and contemporary culture. This episode is made with support of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and T...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 2 min
We visited Bucha a few days ago and will tell you stories of the Russian occupation in this Kyiv suburb which became a symbol of massacres committed by the Russian army. This episode will also cover latest news from the frontline, as well as our continuing analysis of Russian propaganda. -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is...
May 01, 2022•45 min
Russian authorities ordered to “expropriate” harvests, seeds and equipment from Ukrainian farmers in the occupied Kherson region. These orders remind of Stalin’s “requisitions” of food from Ukrainian peasants in early 1930s. This led to Holodomor, Stalin’s artificial famine in which at least 4 million of Ukrainian peasants died in 1932-1933. – We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tet...
Apr 28, 2022•35 min
Two months have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We’re drawing some key conclusions: failure of the Russia’s initial plans; Ukraine’s remarkable resistance; Russian army’s immense cruelty; changes of Russian discourse about the war; some forecasts about the future. We also analyze new trends in the Russian propaganda, and give you testimonies of the war witnesses. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana...
Apr 23, 2022•53 min
How can we describe Putinism? Is it closer to far-right totalitarianisms like fascism/Nazism, or to far-left system like Stalinism? What is the nature of Russian imperialism? Is Stalinism’s heritage still alive? Our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. The “Explaining Ukr...
Apr 19, 2022•42 min
Russian warship “Moskva” (Moscow) has sunk hit by Ukrainian “Neptun” missile; homes of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians (millions of m2) are destroyed; testimonials from this war by people having first-hand experience – in our new “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist who is in charge of international outreach at the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. T...
Apr 15, 2022•37 min
A mysterious “Russian soul” has been an object of international admiration for centuries. We explain why this admiration is naïve. Russia's love for “wide” horizons, “borderless” thinking and “extreme” emotions has deprived it of key elements of Western civilization: the idea of balance and proportions. In the Russian culture, the distinctions between good and evil are difficult to draw. -- Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor at UkraineWorld.org, and T...
Apr 11, 2022•35 min
Ukraine defeated Russia in the battle of Kyiv, and Russian troops retreated from the Northern, North-Eastern Ukraine, and South-Western Ukraine. On the contrary, Russians are concentrating troops in the East and South. In this episode of “Explaining Ukraine” podcast we are providing updates about the situation on the ground, giving human testimonies from Mariupol and analyzing Russian propaganda. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, analytics director at Internews U...
Apr 07, 2022•39 min
The whole world is looking at atrocities of Russian army in Kyiv suburbs: Bucha, Irpin’, Hostomel, villages on the Zhytomyr route and others. We try to explain why these atrocities could have happened and how this genocide has been made possible. Photos: https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1510694608166129665 -- We continue our “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, analytics director at Internews Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrai...
Apr 04, 2022•31 min
