In this episode of The Talking Ukraine Podcast, filmmaker Christina Paschyn joins me to discuss her powerful new documentary, Etched in Memory. The film highlights the stories of several Crimean Tatars as they struggle to live freely on their ancestral homeland — a land marked by deportation, repression, and renewed occupation.

We explore the film’s production process, the challenges of documenting this story, and the broader significance of the Crimean Tatar fight for identity, rights, and justice under Russian occupation. 

Ten years ago, filmmaker Damian Kolodiy and Ukrainian volunteer activist Ivan Rodichenko traveled into the Donbas to screen Freedom or Death, Kolodiy’s documentary on the Revolution of Dignity. Their journey took them to frontline cities — Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivska, and Mariupol — places that were already feeling the first tremors of a war that would reshape Ukraine. In this episode, they look back on that 2015 trip: the audiences they met, the mood in the east, and the sense of uncertainty that hung in the air.

A decade later — with some of those same cities scarred or destroyed — they reflect on what that moment meant, and how the spirit of the Revolution continues to echo on the front lines today. Ten years ago those screenings felt like small acts of solidarity in uncertain times. Today, their meaning feels even clearer. The spirit of the Revolution of Dignity — the belief in freedom, agency, and national self-determination — didn’t fade. It endured. 

"Freedom or Death in Donbas: a Journey to Ukraine's Eastern Front" a behind the scenes documentary can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/X-7PMCC_UDQ?si=mWWLj3P5kdl9EGFe

In this episode, I speak with Olexander, a resident of Kyiv living through another winter of intermittent heating and electricity caused by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. He describes daily life under these conditions and shares the mood on the streets — how ordinary Ukrainians are coping, adapting, and thinking about the war.

In this episode, social scientist and public intellectual Myhailo Wynnyckyj—Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy—joins me to discuss the newly released Ukraine Manifesto, a sustainable peace plan for Ukraine he recently co-authored detailing what a minimum and maximum victory could look like. We also revisit the early days of the full-scale invasion reflected in his widely read Thoughts from Kyiv blog during the invasion’s first days—and what Ukrainian resilience means today.

Full Manifesto here:

In this episode, Ukraine analyst Adrian Karatnycky breaks down the implications of the so-called “peace plan,” and why robust support for Ukraine is in America's interest. We also explore the Ukrainian government’s response to the recent corruption scandal — and what it reveals about Ukraine’s internal dynamics at a critical moment.

In this episode, Canadian journalist Neil Hauer reflects on his eigth reporting trip to Ukraine and shares vivid insights from covering the war since its onset in February 2022 — including his firsthand experience of the invasion’s first days.

In this episode, we talk with Benjamin Goldhagen — the mind behind “To the Zero Line” and “The Steel Porcupine” — about what it takes to film on the edge of a war zone, finding humanity amid destruction, and why Ukraine’s story needs to be told now.

Goldhagen shares his experiences filming on the frontlines of Ukraine — capturing resilience, trauma, and the human stories behind the headlines.

www.thesteelporcupine.com

🎥 Keywords: Ukraine documentary, Benjamin Goldhagen interview, Ukrainian war, frontline filmmaking, Ukrainian culture, documentary podcast.

Jonas is a former Swedish Marine who when Russia invaded Ukraine, decided that he must act to support Ukraine. For almost 4 years he drives once a month to the front lines in Ukraine donating various supplies purchased by Swedish donors. Join us for his insights into the war from both an "on the ground" and Swedish perspective.

Hanna Shelest is the Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”, one of the top Ukrainian think-tanks. A native of Odessa, we discuss how her city and people have managed during the war, Hanna's expert perspective of the global stage vis a vis Ukraine, Russia's psychological mind games, and the various technology and techniques used by Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion. 

Olena Trehub is the founder and Secretary General of NAKO - the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, established in Ukraine in cooperation with Transparency International in 2017. NAKO focuses on promoting good governance in the defense sector, anti-corruption reform in areas critical for national security, and due diligence in the defense industry.  Olena is currently serving her second term on the Anti-Corruption Council of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. She also works with the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, advocating for strong international support for Ukraine.

Previously, Olena served as Director at Ukraine's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, managing over $12 billion in international development projects. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts) and Central European University. She has received multiple awards for her reform work and was named one of Ukraine's 100 most influential women by New Time Magazine.