Wandering the Edge

What was the Prosvita (Enlightenment) Society that was founded in Lviv in 1868? Why was it the single most important Ukrainian society to basically ever exist? And what role did it play in Ukraine's fight for independence, self-sufficiency and cultural history? Find out in this episode of Wandering the Edge! Facebook & Instagram: Wanderedgeukraine John Armstrong, Ukrainian Nationalism (198...

The 1919 Paris Peace talks in Versailles was supposed to be end of war in Europe. But in just 20 years, a world war would begin anew - one of the reasons for which was the outcomes of the Peace Talks. But what was the affect of this peace for Ukraine and Ukrainians? And is there a warning in ignoring the wants and needs of a large segment of the European population to appease bigger nations? Find...

Ukraine's history has not only been appropriated by Russia for centuries, but its treasures has also been stolen or destroyed by imperial Russia, Soviet Russia and now the Russian Federation. What is missing from Ukraine's cultural treasures, what has Russia and other countries stolen from our archives and what is Russian consciously destroying during this current Russo-Ukrainian war? Find...

What's the history of vodka and vodka distilling? What is so unique to Ukrainian vodka? And what makes it taste so good? And how did this current Russian invasion affect Ukraine's vodka distilleries? And what can we do to support Ukraine reestablish itself as the world best and great vodka distillers? Find out in this episode of an interview with Zirkova Vodka's CEO Katherine Vellinga! Zirkova's w...

Ukraine voted him the most influential Ukrainian in 2008 but why was Yaroslav named "the Wise"? How much of it was his legal reform and how much of it was his military and diplomatic feats that have earned him his moniker? Find out about this great Mediaeval Kyivan Rus King in this episode of Wandering the Edge! Facebook & Instagram: Wanderedgeukraine Samuel H. Cross, "Mediaeval...

Ukraine has suffered from 3 major famines in the 20th century: 1921-1923, the Holodomor of 1932-1933 and the post-war famine of 1946-1947. And while the first and last did have environmental factors that contributed to the famine, it was the policies of the Bolsheviks and Soviets that led to the death of millions of people, who could have lived if it weren't for their ruthless and stupid agric...

Ivan Kotliarevsky (1769-1838) was the first modern Ukrainian writer who wrote in actual Ukrainian. His parody "Eneida" followed some rowdy Ukrainian Cossacks on their journey to/from Troy. His other works included the great play - "Natalka Poltavka", which was the last play performed at the Kyiv Opera Theatre before the 2022 invasion. Kotliarevsky was also a military veteran an...

The Kholodny Yar area of Ukraine is a beautiful ancient forest filled with whimsy - but also a long history of rebellion and insurrection. From the 1700s with the Haidamak brigands to the early 20th century insurgents who first used the term "Glory to Ukraine" - this was the region of folk heroes, successful insurgent armies and severe repercussions. Find out more about this region and i...

Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a powerful figure in Ukrainian history and an influence in European politics in the second half of the 1600's. His most controversial act was signing an agreement with the Russian Tsar, the consequences of which have reverberated into modern Ukraine. His legacy is also shadowed by Cossack actions against the Jews and the Catholics. How has Khmelnytsky been remembe...

Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657) could have been a minor Cossack noble and a small footnote in Ukrainian history until some soap opera level drama shook his life and at the age of 50 he led an uprising that would shake the entire Eastern European political and military landscape. What were his motivations and why did the other Cossacks follow his lead (and elect him Hetman)? And what were the reacti...

In this interview with journalist and activist Julian Hayda, we discuss the Ukrainian funerary customs and traditions - those Ukrainians observe in Ukraine and abroad. We talk about how these customs evolved, what exactly do Ukrainians do during a funeral and the importance of certain songs and customs to soothe our grief. Photo Credit: ARMYINFORM Facebook & Instagram: Wanderedgeukraine For mo...

Sviatoslav was the son of a warrior king and a smart queen who loved a good fight (or war) but not so much the actual ruling bit of being a ruler. He won great battles in the east and lost great battles in the west. Was the first "Slav" king that great? And why is his image now so complicated? Find out in this episode of Wandering the Edge! Facebook & Instagram: Wanderedgeukraine Leo...

The Revolution of Dignity began as the pro-EU Euromaidan protest in November 2013. It then transformed into a revolution that wanted to change Ukraine itself. It turned violent when the government that was elected on behalf of the people, turned on the people. This was also the beginning of this current Ukrainian-Russian war, with 2022 only being the full scale invasion. Why did this Revolution ha...

Ivan Franko (1856-1916) is considered the third in Ukraine's literary pantheon. He was a poet, writer, social and literary critic, journalist, translator, economist, political activist, doctor of philosophy, ethnographer and staunch Ukrainian independentist. His work has been used by the Soviets to completely alter his historical influence but his ideas on socialism were never so simple. This...

Thousands of Ukrainians were imprisoned in the GULAG system of the Soviet Union. And many of them were involved in the numerous GULAG uprisings that sprang up after Stalin's death in 1953. This episode will look at 3 of them in particular: the Norilsk and Vorkuta Uprisings of 1953 and the Kengir Uprising of 1954. Why did the uprisings occur and how important where the Ukrainians in organizing...

How much do you know about your family tree? Well, there are some Ukrainian families that can pinpoint where and from whom they came from. That is the case with the Shukhevych Family. This episode will look into the history of this famous family which includes a lot of priests, some legal scholars, musicians, political-cultural leaders and legendary and infamous military commanders, including Gene...

Ukraine is known as Europe's breadbasket - primarily because of the type of soil that naturally occurs there. This episode looks at the history of the Ukrainian peasantry - a social class that is so inherently tied to the land it was seen as a dangerous element by none other than the dictator Josef Stalin. How important was the peasantry to Ukrainian history? And how did they react to foreign...

Ukraine declared independence from the USSR on 24 August 1991. But it took years of inter-Soviet disfunction and terror to finally thrust independence upon numerous countries. The fall of the Soviet Union also didn't happen in one day, it took years and began with the election of Gorbachev in 1985 and pushed forward by thousands of pro-independence activists. This episode will look at how inde...

The January 29-30, 1918 Batty of Kruty pitted young Ukrainian soldiers against a larger attacking Red Army. Ukraine only just declared independence and the youth of this nation sacrificed their lives to keep their government alive. Their sacrifice was immortalized, commemorated year after year in the Diaspora and silenced in the Soviet Union. Almost 100 years later, another Battle of Kruty occurre...

Who was Petro Sahaidachny and why is he considered, by some, to be Ukraine's greatest Hetman? Well, he was a 17th century Ukrainian political and military leader who commanded his Cossacks at sea using their unique "chaika" boats and led them to almost sack Moscow. He was a diplomat just as much as he was a scholar, but he was always an impressive political figure who led his men on...

The second part of episodes dedicated to sciency stuff! Who were some of the most influential Ukrainian scientists in the twentieth century? Well, some liked rocks, others like kidneys and hearts while still others were really into welding stuff. But one was a mysterious man, without whom, NASA wouldn't have gotten to the moon (even though he died during the Second World War and had absolutely...

Ukrainians are pretty smart - so smart we have scientists! The first world-renown scientist is Yuriy Drohobych - the once rector of the University of Bologna in the 15th century who was a philosopher, astronomer and medical doctor for the king of Poland! We also have two evolutionists - Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay (anthropologist and biologist who was as important in Australia) and Elie Metchnikoff (...

In this episode, we talk to Nazar Volynets, a veteran of the 24th Assault Battalion ("Aidar") of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who was a reconnaissance platoon commander in 2014-2015. We discuss how he ended up in Ukraine in 2013, why he joined the war, what he saw on the front, the importance of the Battle of Ilovaisk and Debaltseve and why supporting Ukraine today is so important. Faceboo...

What is the feast day of the Intercession of the Theotokos? How did a military defeat in far off Constantinople result in a religious feast day in Ukraine? And how did it evolve and influence Ukrainian religious celebrations and even statehood from medieval Kyivan-Rus to the Cossacks to the Second World War and present day? Find out in this latest episode of Wandering the Edge! Facebook & Inst...

Alexander Dovzhenko is Ukraine's greatest screenwriter, producer and director. Ukraine's film institute is named after him. He was a genius that was tormented by Soviet censorship, favoured and agonized by Stalin's whims and made some of Ukraine's best films. While Sergei Parajanov made Ukraine's greatest film: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. The Armenian too was plagued by Sov...