Matryoshka of Lies

We are pleased to present the trailer for the new season of the Ukrainian Spaces podcast, which is available on UP.  For our fifth season, Ukrainian Spaces returns to where it began: revisiting six Ukrainians from the 2022 inaugural season to see how hope, resistance, and resilience have shaped their lives. Across six episodes – fear, belonging, language, love, resistance, and the future – ou...

This episode of Matryoshka of Lies uncovers Russia’s brutal colonial history in Alaska, marked by massacres, enslavement, and resource extraction from Indigenous populations, as highlighted by journalist Casey Michel. Filmmaker Oleksiy Radynski urges Ukrainians to confront their complicity in Moscow’s colonial past, emphasizing that dismantling the Russian Federation is crucial to ending this lega...

This episode explores the concept of "Russophobia" and how it is used to silence criticism and maintain control. Painting the victims as Russophobic has always been part of the crime, as vividly illustrated by Professor Timothy Snyder’s 2023 testimony to the United Nations Security Council. Snyder, a leading historian on Eastern Europe, sheds light on the intersection of Russian genocidal rhetoric...

This episode explores the concept of "Imperial Innocence" with Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova, a prominent Qazaq thinker. We delve into how Russia perpetuates the image of a victimized nation to justify its history of brutal invasions and ongoing colonialism. Dive into "Matryoshka of Lies" with Maksym Eristavi, author of the illustrated guidebook "Russian Colonialism 101," and Ukrainska Pravda. Unveil t...

This episode of Matryoshka of Lies exposes the brutal reality of Russian colonialism in Crimea (Qirim) and Georgia (Sakartvelo) and explores how Western academia, influenced by Russian narratives, has failed to recognize it. We delve into the reasons behind this blind spot, including the power imbalances in academia and the weaponization of disinformation. Featuring: - Dr. Rory Finnin, Professor o...

In this episode, we delve into how Russia weaponized its culture to justify its empire, rewriting history and erasing indigenous voices along the way. Featuring insights from leading experts like Dr. Ewa Thompson, Ukrainian novelist Oksana Zabuzhko, and more, we challenge the conventional narrative surrounding Russian culture, revealing the colonial undercurrents that have fueled centuries of oppr...

This episode ventures into a chapter often missing from the mainstream narrative: Russia's influence in Africa and Qazaqstan. Joined by leading experts Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova (University of Basel in Switzerland), Dr. Azamat Junisbai (Pitzer College, California), Dr. Oleksandr Polianichev (Södertörns högskola, Sweden), host Maksym Eristavi dives deep to explore why understanding these untold stor...

In our season premiere, we challenge the propaganda narratives surrounding Russia. Ukrainian journalist and author Maksym Eristavi takes you on a journey to uncover the deeper story and expose serial imperial and colonial behavior. We'll meet Ukrainian human rights advocate Val Voshchevska and imperialism researcher Mariam Naiem, who share their personal experiences and the stories passed down thr...

Ukraine's not the first one. Russia's colonial grip has choked nations for centuries. Gaslighting, invading, erasing. But this time, the world is watching. Dive into "Matryoshka of Lies" with Maksym Eristavi, a Ukrainian author, and Ukrainska Pravda. Unpack the myths, expose the truth. The empire will fall.