Ukrainian Spaces

s3e1: Thanks to our generous Patreon family, #UkrainianSpaces is back for season three. For this one, we feel big decolonization energy and tried something completely new - a live-audience show. Recorded in late February in Warsaw, a sold-out event featured brilliant Ukrainians like: Mariam Naiem , a prominent Ukrainian artist and researcher working on mainstreaming global understanding of the col...

s2e23: It has been the worst year for every Ukrainian. In a way, it also has been the best one. Those Ukrainians who survived it are transformed forever. Despite the trauma, pain, and heartbreak, they keep dreaming, creating, and daring. Millions of Ukrainian stories can inspire anyone to live in a better world and to be a better person. But for the season two finale, we decided to keep it within...

s2e22: Russian-backed conspiracies about Ukraine and Ukrainians might appear bizarre, entertaining, or even funny. But every piece of anti-Ukrainian propaganda shared abroad, even accidentally or as a hate share, has a specific price in Ukrainian lives. That's why Ukrainians take fact-checking so seriously, and it is universally regarded as important as defending our freedom with actual weapon...

s2e21: This is not Russia's first attempt to eradicate Ukrainians. This is not the first time fascism is trying to wipe an entire nation from the face of the Earth, either. Nevertheless, there has never been so much global unity when it comes to helping Ukrainians as today. But does it mean we are finally learning our 'never again' lessons? Let's do a quick rundown of things foreig...

s2e20: When Ukrainians express discomfort by being pushed into a space with a Russian person without consent, some foreigners label it 'hatred' or 'russophobia.' When Ukrainians talk about Russian society's centuries-old patterns of serial abusive behavior towards their neighbors, we are dismissed as 'emotional' and 'hysterical.' Could it be just a lack of empat...

s2e19: Through centuries of colonial oppression, music remained a secret superpower for Ukrainians to keep their resistance up. The ongoing genocide is no different. Ukrainian music artists have been creating breathtaking art that keeps our spirits up and inspires us not to give up. For this one, we feature Zbaraski , one of our favorite Ukrainian musicians , to explain the deep anti-colonial root...

s2e18: We took the theme of our second season, building bridges with Ukrainian allies worldwide, and thought why not go more ambitious? That's how Volya Hub was founded . A sister Ukrainian Spaces project, it unites journalists, storytellers and scholars across former Russian colonies to expand public awareness about the crimes of Russian colonialism — in languages of the communities that are...

s2e17: How does one go from a foreign journalist to a NAFO founding figure to a Ukrainian soldier putting your life on the line for Ukraine daily? For this one, we talk to James (his second name will remain secret due to security concerns) from Spaghetti Kozak Media . We discuss the price of freedom, colonialism, the NAFO phenomena, and Russian propaganda in the most honest, raw way - because faci...

s2e16: Despite what Russia claims, the roots of Ukrainian identity reach as far back as thousands of years. Despite what Russia is trying to do, a new generation of Ukrainian artists resists the cultural erasure and makes ancient Ukrainian culture reborn and reimagined again. For this one, a Ukrainian ethnographic researcher, style icon, and the founder of Nadiia , Nadiia Shapoval , explains how c...

s2e15: We talk so much about cultural appropriation by Westerners. But Russians have been doing the same thing to Ukrainians - and so many other neighboring cultures - for centuries, presenting stolen cultures as their own. We've had enough. Receipts of colonialism are ready to be shown, and anti-colonial tea is ready to be spilled. Our featured Ukrainian is Oleksandra Povoroznyk , a culture c...

s2e14: Before Russia started mass-slaughtering us, Ukrainians had global traction for exceptional work ethic, 'everything-is-possible' attitude, and breathtaking creativity. For the same reasons, Ukraine became one of the leading global hubs for high-end movie and video production in recent years. But what it has to do with our colonial past? Everything. For this one, we feature Kateryna G...

s2e13: sport plays such a crucial identity-shaping role in Ukraine - athletes of different genders, ethnicities, and skin colors helped to crystalize our feeling of national pride and what it means to be a Ukrainian in the last three decades since the end of the last Russian occupation. That's why it is no surprise that when another Russian assault started this year, thousands of Ukrainian ath...

s2e11: Back in February, most Ukrainians still had no idea about the harrowing scale of genocide awaiting them in the coming months. But our friends from Syria and other parts of the Middle East reached out instantly with live-saving tips. Before unleashing it onto Ukraine, Russia tested and polished most of its terrorist and war crimes tactics on Syrian civilians — facing zero consequences or mea...

s2e10: "Being free people is not cheap. What Ukrainians are going through is very much similar to what many people in Africa went through or are still going through." For another bridge episode of anti-colonial solidarity, we invited a South Sudanese liberation movement legend and prominent African thinker Peter Ajak Blair . In a powerful, raw, and moving chat, he explains why the Ukrain...

s2e9: when the genocide in Ukraine started, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and solidarity from Japan. What makes people from, literally, the other side of our planet hurt, rally and cheer together with Ukrainians? For another bridge episode, we feature Ihor Ihnatiev , an activist from Stand With Ukraine Japan , and Asami Terajima , a Kyiv-based journalist with Kyiv Independent. W...

s2e8: Ukrainians are fighting not only to get their stolen homes back. This battle is also about their values, identity, and right to manifest who they are. Facing genocidal evil trying to assimilate them, Ukrainians resist by doubling down on diversity, creativity, and belief that they can build a better world. For this one, we feature Alice Zhuravel , a proud Ukrainian of color, a wartime artist...

s2e7: 'That's very unfair that you, Ukrainians, have to pay for all of us to find ourselves, to start valuing ourselves, to start emancipating ourselves.' We entered this bridge episode to find similarities between Qazaqstan and Ukraine in our shared anti-colonial struggle. We ended up with one of our most powerful and moving episodes. Our featured Ukrainian ally is Botakoz Kassymbekov...

s2e6: genocide in Ukraine triggers tens of millions of Russian neighbors. It is more than empathy, though. The history of colonial violence, erasure, and assimilation by russia is a shared experience for dozens of nations. We foster Ukrainian-Kyrgyz anti-colonial solidarity for another bridge episode and feature brilliant Kyrgyz journalist Bektour Iskender . SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100%...

s2e5 : for this one, we pay tribute to fearless queer Ukrainians who defiantly manifest their rainbow colors even as Russian bombs keep raining down on them. Kharkiv pride went ahead on September 25th, 2022, in the country's second-largest city — despite fighting ongoing just several kilometers away and non-stop Russian shelling. Why has the Ukrainian queer liberation been turbo-charged by Rus...

s2e4: we are back to cast a kickass spell of ancient Ukrainian magic against Russian colonialism. Our featured Ukrainian is sensational artist Anka Lavriv . SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠ become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend i...

s2e3: we are back to remind you why Ukraine and Ukrainian voices must remain at the center of global attention and should not be dismissed or ignored. Our featured Ukrainian is Oksana Pokalchuk , a legendary human rights defender who documents Russian war crimes. SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukr...

s2e2: why ending the genocide in Ukraine can only be done with the liberation of Crimea? Why understanding Russian settler colonialism in Crimea is understanding Ukraine? Why learning about the resistance of Crimean Tatars against annihilation is learning about Ukraine? Why speaking the truth about Ukraine is paramount, no matter how uncomfortable? For this one, we feature Sevgil Musaieva , an awa...

s2e1: we are trying something new for Season Two — building stronger bridges between Ukrainians and our friends across the globe. In this one, we connect with kickass anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism fighters in Taiwan, where strong solidarity with Ukraine keeps making global headlines. Why Taiwanese feel so passionately about a nation living literally on the side of the planet? Our featured...

s1e34: for the Season One finale, we keep it in the family and gather our #UkrainianSpaces family members to put messages of Ukrainian hope, love, resilience, and defiance into a podcast time capsule. Featured Ukrainians are (in the order of appearance): Mariam Naiem , Olek Shyn , Stas Olenchenko , Maria Buchelnikova , Romeo Kokriatski , Maria aka Vinok Collective , Kvitka Perehinets , Tetyana Den...

s1e33: one of the most visceral images from the ongoing genocide in Ukraine has been Ukrainians risking everything to save their pets or animals from a war zone. From zoo keepers who keep showing up for work even under russian shelling and rescuers putting their lives on the line to save pets trapped under the rubble of russian terrorist attacks, to thousands of volunteers working 24/7 to assist w...