Explaining Ukraine

The explanation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not only geopolitical, but also psychological. It is rooted in Russia’s culture of violence and political sado-masochism. We discuss this with Peter Pomerantsev, senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University and author of the best-selling books, This is Not Propaganda and Nothing is True and Everything is Possible. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukraini...

Ukrainians are using Western-supplied high-tech weapons to destroy Russian ammunition stocks, thus undermining Russia’s whole artillery-dependent warfighting strategy. We focus on this key development in this week’s episode of the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and journalist, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian schola...

Chernihiv, a medieval city in Northern Ukraine, suffered heavily from Russian shelling and airstrikes in February and March. The city was without electricity and water for one month, and over 140 multi-storey buildings and over 2,000 private houses were damaged or destroyed. The number of dead could reach 1,000 people. If Chernihiv had fallen, the Russians were in position to take Kyiv next. We tr...

Russia made a missile strike on a trade mall in Kremenchuk, killing over 20 people; 36 went missing. This and others are cases of Russia’s increasing missile terrorism hitting civilian targets in Ukraine, which Kremlin propaganda tries in vain to deny. Unable to withstand Ukrainian strikes, Russia retreats from the Zmiinyi island in the Black Sea, but Russians continue their offensive in the whole...

What are the key elements of contemporary Ukraine? How can we understand its past 30 years? We discuss decentralization, generational changes, people vs power, the fluidity of the language situation, and other topics. Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld.org, and Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian scholar and journalist, in charge of international outreach at t...

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 Ogark...

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...

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 UkraineWo...

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 / disinf...

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...

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.

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 Crisi...

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 Bec...

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 patr...

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 wor...

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 e...

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 th...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 Delegatio...

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 internation...

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 Dele...

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...