February 06, 2025

619. Volodymyr Yermolenko - Why Russia Attacks its Neighbours - Imperial Trauma that Triggers Violence.

1 hour 36 minutes

Volodymyr Yermolenko is President of PEN Ukraine, the writers Union, and

Chief Editor of Ukraine World. He is one of Ukraine’s leading cultural

and intellectual figures, a philosopher, essayist, translator, Doctor of

Political Studies, candidate of philosophical sciences, and senior

lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. It is a great privilege to be in

conversation, especially here in Kyiv.

In this discussion, Yermolenko unpacks the complexities of Ukrainian

identity, the historical context of Russian-Ukrainian relations, and the

ongoing war. He explores themes of assimilation, imperialism, and the

role of language in shaping national identity, while also analyzing how

media narratives influence public perception.

----------

This event was co-hosted jointly by the Fog of War & Silicon Curtain

podcasts. Hosts: Yaroslava Bukhta and Jonathan Fink

📍 Recorded at the office of ICAP Yednannia

🎥 Filming & Editing: Vladyslav Mashkin, The Ukrainians Media

📢 Event Logistics & Communications: 9.Department & Veronika

Kobzysta

🔍 Key Topics:

✅ The historical roots of Russian-Ukrainian relations

✅ How language shapes identity and assimilation

✅ The role of media in shaping war narratives

✅ The cultural stakes of Ukraine’s fight for identity

✅ What this means for Europe’s future

📢 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth

conversations on Ukraine, media, and global affairs.

----------

00:00:00 - Introduction to the event and speaker

00:03:47 - Importance of memory and history in the Russian political project

00:04:32 - Discussion on the conscious effort to erase historical documents

00:05:26 - The symbolic significance of Chersones in Russian history

00:06:58 - The destruction of historical monuments in Crimea

00:08:04 - The role of legacy in European history

00:13:15 - The significance of language in shaping identity

00:14:41 - Language as a tool of imperialism and assimilation

00:20:58 - The challenge of conveying the reality of war to outsiders

00:28:56 - Discussion on genocide and reconciliation post-conflict

00:34:45 - The future of Europe and the rise of authoritarianism

00:50:20 - The balance between power and democracy in society

01:02:25 - The fight for Ukrainian identity as an anti-imperial struggle

01:06:26 - The role of culture in understanding and translating experiences

01:19:20 - The impact of media narratives on public perception

01:21:54 - Closing thoughts and reflections on the discussion

----------

🎧 Follow us on: Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/

----------

View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/

https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta

https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/

https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/

----------

We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and

Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a

great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two

events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed

in high definition for the channel.

https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras

But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv,

and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are

higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available

venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make

this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to

film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will

have an impact, so please help if you can.

https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras

----------

...more

View all episodes

By Jonathan Fink

4.9

6262 ratings