What We Need To Know About Ukraine

Today's episode explores history, memory, and propaganda through the lens of the media. * Dr. Marta Dyczok, a historian, political scientist, media scholar, and professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada with a PhD from Oxford University, is the special guest on this episode. * Read Marta's book Ukraine not 'the' Ukraine here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/ukraine-not-the-u...

Today's episode is about Nestor Makhno — a Ukrainian revolutionary leader and anarchist active during the Ukrainian War of Independence of 1917-1921. * "[A] will to freedom and independence, which only in the width and depth of the Ukrainian soul could so quickly and strongly manifest itself." - Nestor Makhno * The music at the end of today's episode is "Любо, братці, любо" ("l'ubo, bratsi, l'ubo"...

Today's episode is about Ukrainian cuisine, its history, and its importance in culture. * Yevhen Klopotenko, renowned Ukrainian chef and restaurateur, credited with getting the culture of Ukrainian Borshch cooking to be listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is the special guest on the episode. * Try Ukrainian cuisine with Yevhen's recipes: https://klopotenko.com/en/ * Find Yevhe...

Today's episode is about Lesya Ukrainka. A feminist and political activist, she is one of Ukraine's most famous and beloved writers to this day. Lesay was a leading figure in the modernist movement and the development of Ukrainian literature. * "No! I am alive, I will live forever. I have that in my heart, which does not die..." - Lesya Ukrainka, The Forest Song * Full version of Lesya Ukrainka's...

Today's episode is about the weapons and strategy used by the Cossacks in battles and wars. In particular, Hetman Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachnyy and how he saved Europe in the War of Khotyn. * Image of troops in the War of Khotyn: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Battle_of_Khotyn_1673.PNG * The music at the end of today's episode is "Їхав Козак За Дунай" (&quot...

Today's episode is about the night of Ivana Kupala - a celebration and holiday in Ukraine that stems from pagan rites and beliefs. Jumping over bonfires, honoring the pagan god of the sun, and singing enchantments are all part of the 3000-year-old holiday. * The background music in today's episode is "Hutsul Triptych: Hutsuls'ky tryptykh (Hutsul Triptych): I. Dytynstvo (Childhood)...

Today's episode is about the emergence of Kyiv - the capital of Ukraine - and its story from its prehistoric beginnings until becoming the birthplace of the Kyivan Rus'. * The background music in today's episode is "Kyiv Valse" by Pol Solonar, and the music at the end of the episode is "Київ" by Євген Філатов ("Kyiv" by Yevhen Filatov). * Find me here: htt...

Today's episode is about the beliefs, traditions, and Ukrainianness that all play their part in Ukrainian Easter. * A painting of a traditional Ukrainian Easter "Easter Matins" by a Ukrainian artist Mykola Pymonenko: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paska_(bread)#/media/File:PimonenkoNK_PashalZautrRYB.jpg * The music in today's episode is "Prayer for Ukraine" by Kyiv Symph...

The Revolution of Dignity, also known as the Euromaidan, was a series of violent and peaceful protests throughout Ukraine, with the center in Kyiv, in the winter of 2013-2014. The Revolution led to the overthrow of the government, as well as Ukraine taking a definite stance on its pro-freedom, pro-European and pro-Ukrainian values. It was a major turning point in Ukraine's history. * The video...

Today's episode is about the Orange Revolution. It started in November 2004 as a result of mass falsifications of the Ukrainian Presidential elections. It was a revolution that fought for free and fair elections and democracy as a whole. * The music in this episode is "Symphony #2" by Mykhailo Verbytskyi (a Ukrainian composer).

Today's episode is about Taras Shevchenko - a poet, writer, artist, and prominent public figure. His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and to some degree the modern Ukrainian language. Today, he is the bard of Ukraine and sometimes is referred to as a prophet. All this, yet he was born a serf. He and his poetry is more than relevant - always. * "Tara...

Today's episode is about serfdom in Ukraine throughout history. Peasants and serfs are often the unheard part of history, yet serfdom - a type of unpaid forced labour left a significant mark on Ukraine, as well as most of Europe. * To read the collection stories by Ukrainian author Marko Vovchok (in English) you can visit the link below. The stories I referenced and quoted from today were &quo...

Today's episode is about Ivan Mazepa - one of Ukraine's most famous hetmans - a genius diplomat and a patron of Kyiv's architecture. * The music at the end of the episode is "Transcendental Etudes, S. 139: No. 4, Mazeppa" by Franz Liszt, which is a symphonic poem about Mazepa. The background music in the episode is "Elegy in Memory of Shevchenko" by the wonderful Uk...

Today's episode is about New Year celebrations and traditions in Ukraine. New Year's Eve in Ukraine is called the Eve of Generosity, and the traditions on this day are a mix of Christian, Pagan, and simply Ukrainian traditions. Have a mystical, musical, and fun Ukrainian New Year's Eve. * The music in today's episode are various Ukrainian shchedrivky performed by the National Symph...

Today's episode is about Christmas in Ukraine. It is its very own unique celebration that combines traditions from Christian and pagan celebrations dating back all the way to the Kyivan Rus'. Welcome to the mystical, musical and exciting Ukrainian Christmas. * The music in todays episode are various Ukrainian kolyadky performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine as part of the &...

Today's episode is about Mykola Gogol - a Ukrainian who turned out to be one of the greatest and most influential writers of all time. He had a huge influence worldwide inspiring many authors, and musicians. He created entire genres of literature. But how did Gogol come to dominate the literary scene? Why is he considered a genius? And who was he really? * "Do you know a Ukrainian night? No, you d...

Today's episode is about Hryhorii Skovoroda who was the first Ukrainian philosopher and who was part of the Ukrainian Baroque thinkers and writers. - "The world was catching me but didn't capture me." - Hryhorii Skovoroda - The music in today's episode is composed and written by Hryhorii Skovoroda. The song is called "Oh you, yellow bird" ("Ой ти, птичко жолтоб...

Today's episode is about the Magdeburg law that came to Ukraine during the Middle Ages and brought democracy and self-government to most Ukrainian cities and towns. * The music in the episode is "Suite in D Minor, HWV 447: Allemande" by George Frideric Handel

Today's episode is about Roksolana - the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire who was also Ukrainian. This marvelous woman was born in a regular family in Ukraine, then enslaved as a girl, and after became the Ottoman Emperor's wife. She does this all while significantly changing the many rules traditions and even the future of the Ottoman Empire in the late Middle Ages. * The music used in t...

Today's episode is about Stepan Bandera - a Ukrainian nationalist, politician, activist, and thinker who strove towards Ukrainian independence during both the world wars, in between and after them. Loved in Ukraine and hated in the Soviet Union, he is still misunderstood today. So who was he really? * "When people choosing between bread and freedom choose bread, they ultimately lose everything, in...

Today's episode is about the turbulent history of the Ukrainian Language and the many attempts at its linguistic genocide - the use of Ukrainian was banned 134 times in various contexts and times. --- The music used in this episode was "Elegy" by the phenomenal Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko.

Today's episode is about Ukrainian mythology and demonology, or in other words the fascinating magical creatures that were believed to have roamed the forests, mountains, fields, cities, and waters in Ukraine. These are the books I've recommended today for you to spend some more time with your favorite magical creatures (all of which are classics): The Forest Song by Lesya Ukrainka The Witch of Ko...

Today's episode is about the Holodomor - genocide of the Ukrainian people which happened in the 1930s and resulted in millions of deaths.

Today's episode is about the history of football (or soccer) in Ukraine as well as the pioneer of modern football worldwide - Valeriy Lobanovskyi. Happy Birthday Valeriy Andrushchak :)

Today's episode is about the fascinating Olha of Kyiv - a canonized saint and a female ruling monarch of the Kyivan Rus'.