The Slavic Connexion

The Slavic Connexion

By ConnexionsSociety & Culture
Download on the App Store

The Slavic Connexion episodes

  • Kyrgyzstan's Uphill Battle for Democracy with Nazgul Kulova

    On this episode, we discuss the ongoing political crisis in Kyrgyzstan, resulting from the disputed October 4th elections, with Nazgul Kulova, a resident of Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan) and a policy analyst in the mining sector. As a former government official at the State Agency for Mineral Resources, she has worked with various international organizations and is thus a valuable inside resource. Nazgul talks with Matt about Kyrgyzstan's tumultuous political history, the motivations for constant upheaval, and the consequences of the latest political crisis gripping the country. We hope you enjoy this current event episode!

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on October 14th, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Co-Host/Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel, Charlie Harper

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Blue Dot Sessions, Ketsa, )

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    42 min
  • "Lukashenko Has No Future" with David Marples

    We're back to Belarus with this episode, but this time we take an in-depth look at the still-thrumming situation from the dictator's perspective with one of the foremost experts on the region, Dr. David Marples. Dr. Marples talks about the potential end of the dictator while rounding out the context for the current revolution, allowing us to see just how and why Alexander Lukashenko came into power. Follow Dr. Marples on Twitter @drmarples.

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Dr. David R. Marples is a former President of The North American Association for Belarusian Studies and was formerly Director of the Stasiuk Program on Contemporary Ukraine at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. In 2014 he was a Visiting Professor at the Slavic and Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University, Japan. At the University of Alberta he is a recipient of the J. Gordin Kaplan Award for Excellence in Research (2003) and the University Cup (2008), the university's highest award. He is regarded as one of the leading Western authorities on the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe (social and political aspects), Lukashenko's regime in Belarus, and contemporary Ukraine. In 2014 he published Our Glorious Past': Lukashenka's Belarus and the Great Patriotic War', the product of an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In 2017, he published 'Ukraine in Conflict' with E-International Relations Publishing. In 2020, he co-edited a book with Aya Fujiwara entitled Hiroshima-75: Nuclear Issues in Global Contexts," published by Ibidem-Verlag, and the result of a conference at the University of Alberta. As a historian Marples has written extensively on Eastern European history of the 20th Century including such major historical events as the Russian Revolution 1917-1920, Ukrainian Famine 1932-1933, Stalinism, and fall of the Soviet Union.

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on September 21st, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Co-Host/Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Co-Host/Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel
    Additional Editing: Jada Geraci

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper and Michelle Daniel, Ketsa, Eme Hache, and Ion Romania)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: David R. Marples.

    48 min
  • Siberian Overtones: Stories and Songs from Tuva with Dr. Susan Crate

    Dr. Susan Crate returns to the show to share her 1990 journey to Tuva, the geographic center of Asia. At this time, Tuva had only recently opened up to foreign travelers and the oblast (region) experienced heavy upheaval across the domains of the former Soviet Union. This moment also proved to be a turning point for the revitalization of lost or hidden cultural traditions, and many Tuvans openly displayed their heritage, wearing their garments and exhibiting their practices. Dr. Crate spent time in the capital city of Kyzyl and traveled across Tuva to remote villages, recording traditional songs, prayers, and oral poetry. She shares with us original recordings of khoomei (Tuvan throat singing), labor songs (folk songs that organize work through a certain rhythm), ovaa prayers, a bear dance ritual, and much more. Четтирдим!

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Dr. Susan Crate is a professor of Anthropology in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. She is trained as anapplied anthropologist, folklorist, and ethnomusicologist. Much of her research focuses on environmental and cognitive anthropology and human ecology among Viliui Sakha of Yakutia, Northeastern Siberia. Her research on the effects of unprecedented climatechange has recently expanded to Canada, Mongolia, Peru, Wales, Kiribati, and the ever-so exotic, Chesapeake Bay. She is the author of Cows, Kin, and Globalization: An Ethnography of Sustainability (2006), the coeditor of Anthropology and Climate Change: From Encounters to Actions (2009, 2016), and a lead author on Chapter 1 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate”.Dr. Crate is currently working on a longitudinal ethnography titled Once Upon the Permafrost: Culture and Climate Change in the 21stCentury, which chronicles her thirty years of work in the Sakha Republic. The book is due out fall 2021 with University of Arizona Press.

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on September 6th, 2020. Apologies for the high-pitched ringing at points, which was entirely due to the presence of crickets.

    CREDITS

    Host/Assistant Producer: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Audio Processing, Editing, and Sound Design: Charlie Harper and Michelle Daniel

    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)

    Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper, Scott Holmes, and John Bartmann)

    All Tuvan recordings provided by Dr. Susan Crate. Order of songs:
    1 Незаметно век проходит; духовные стихи (The century passes imperceptibly, spirital poem)
    2 Бай-ла Тайгам (Bai-la Taigam, folk song)
    3 Благопожелание (Prayers; ovaa, istochnik, baraba)
    4 Трудовая песня для ягненка, козлёнка и телёнка (Functinoal song; lamb, goat, calf)
    5 Горловое пение, отец с маленьким сынком
    6 Импровизационная игра на варгоне (Improvisational playing on the mouth harp)
    7 Шаманскoе камлание, Зелёное озеро (Shaman ritual healing song, Green Lake)
    8 Танец медведя (Bear dance)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Susan Crate.

    33 min
  • Living in a Post-Truth World: How Did We Get Here?

    Admittedly, this is not a very Slavic episode, but we would like to balance the scales a little bit and discuss the existential crisis America is facing as well as we approach the 2020 presidential election. A New York Times article a few days ago said that though the United States makes up only 4% of the world's population, our Covid deaths account for 20% of the global totals. We're no math geniuses, but it looks like the U.S. has become Corona Country. So, what happened? Maybe you're wondering the same thing. But the pandemic is not really to blame--there's a lot more to our troubles than 200,000+ deaths and a Covid-downplaying President with Covid. (Hell, yes. It's complicated.) But as it turns out, our symptoms are basically universal.

    So, to help us measure how far the U.S. has fallen in 2020, several weeks ago (following the Republican National Convention in August), philosopher and scholar Dr. Lee McIntyre joined us to discuss how we (America, the West, take your pick) got to a place of truth denial and what (if anything) we can do about it? Dr. McIntyre discusses his highly relevant book Post-Truth (MIT Press) and the importance of face-to-face discussions (but with masks!) with people in order to "enlarge their circle of concern" as difficult as that may be in a pandemic. We hope you enjoy this discussion. It helped us make sense of the divisions in this nation, politically and existentially, and hopefully it will be of use to you as well.

    Thanks for listening and if you are an American citizen, please remember to do your civic duty and VOTE!

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). He has taught philosophy at Colgate University (where he won the Fraternity and Sorority Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching Philosophy), Boston University, Tufts Experimental College, Simmons College, and Harvard Extension School (where he received the Dean’s Letter of Commendation for Distinguished Teaching). Formerly Executive Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, he has also served as a policy advisor to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard and as Associate Editor in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    Check out his website: https://leemcintyrebooks.com/ You can find his book Post-Truth on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Post-Truth-MIT-Press-Essential-Knowledge/dp/0262535041
    View his appearance on Amanpour & Co. earlier this year here: https://www.pbs.org/video/lee-mcintyre-post-truth-vs-lies-n4mjnd/
    Follow him on Twitter: @leemcintyre

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on August 25th, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Co-Host/Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Co-Host/Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Associate Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel
    Additional Editing: Jada Geraci

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper and Michelle Daniel, Scott Holmes, Eme Hache, Timecrawlers, and Ion Romania)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Lee McIntyre.

    39 min
  • The Greater (Dysfunctional) Western Family with Leonid Ragozin

    On this episode, former BBC journalist Leonid Ragozin joins Tom from Latvia to discuss the perception of Russia in the West, the origins of Western xenophobia towards Russia, his view of Vladimir Putin in 2000, and his experience working as an independent journalist on the investigations of high profile figures murdered in Ukraine. We hope you enjoy!

    ABOUT THE GUEST

    Leonid is a Russian journalist who worked for 12 years with the BBC in Moscow. He is a widely acknowledged expert on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Previously he was a correspondent for Newsweek. He now writes for The New Republic, Politico, Bloomberg, News Week, The Guardian and Al Jazeera and Morgenbladet. He is also co-author of the Lonely Planet Guides to Moscow and Ukraine. Additionally, he works on the investigation of Pavel Sheremet with Radio Free Europe-funded Ukrainian media outlet Zaborona.

    Here are links to a selection of Ragozin's excellent articles:

    1) Articles for Bloomberg https://www.themoscowtimes.com/author/leonid-ragozin-for-bloomberg
    2) Articles for Al Jazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/author/leonid_ragozin_2013122273219325632/
    3) Articles for Kyiv Post https://www.kyivpost.com/author/leonid-ragozin?cn-reloaded=1
    4) Articles for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/profile/leonid-ragozin

    Follow Leonid on Twitter: @leonidragozin

    Here is the 2nd part of our investigation into the death of Pavel Sheremet. It focuses on a group politicians and law-enforcers who managed to survive the 2016 political crisis despite zero popularity, while seizing assets of Sheremet’s de-facto employer.https://t.co/U4I6z9wvPW

    — Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) September 23, 2020

    A rootless cosmopolitan (me) linking up with Texas on @SlavXRadio podcast. Talking about issues of journalism and nationality, Russia’s place in Western psyche and our latest @zaborona_media investigation into the death of Pavel Sheremet. https://t.co/QJNb2Npttx

    — Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) September 30, 2020

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on Friday, September 25th, 2020 via Skype.

    CREDITS

    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper, Michelle Daniel, Ketsa, Soularflair, and Blue Dot Sessions) Additional clips of Vladimir Putin's speech on December 31, 1999, coverage of car bombing in Kyiv from RFE/RL, and Yeltsin endorsement of Putin while delivering his vote taken from YouTube.

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Leonid Ragozin.

    36 min
  • Post-Election Passivity and the Poisonous Politics of Petrostates with Maria Snegovaya

    In this episode, Matt discussed with Dr. Maria Snegovaya the leading issues of the day in the Slavic region. Namely, the aftermath of Russia's recent regional elections, the Kremlin's response to Alexei Navalny's poisoning, and the ongoing spectre of Russian intervention in Belarus's post-election crisis. Connect with Dr. Snegovaya on Twitter: @MSnegovaya

    UPDATE (9-30-2020) View Dr. Snegovaya's research with CEPA here: https://cepa.org/russian-youth-and-civic-engagement/?fbclid=IwAR19gUFfqtpS4xkRCk0DH2RK-f3MEAGbVe2s8C3f_I6Sq3LXBCVU4UOlOV0

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Maria Snegovaya is a Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Her research focus is the democratic backsliding, the spread of populist actors in Eastern Europe, and Russia’s domestic and foreign policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. In the past, Maria collaborated with the Institute for the Study of War, the Brookings Institution, the Free Russia Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Eurasia Group, and Freedom House. Dr. Snegovaya is the author of several reports and studies, including “Policy Memo: Justifying a Counter-Cyclical US-Russia Policy (the Case of Energy Dependence)” for The Harriman Institute; “Stifling the Public Sphere: Media and Civil Society: Russia” for the National Endowment for Democracy; and “Putin’s Information Warfare in Ukraine. Soviet Origins of Russia’s Hybrid Warfare. Analytical Report” for The Institute for the Study of War. Dr. Snegovaya’s publications have appeared in the Vedomosti Business Daily, The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage (Political Science blog), The Huffington Post, The National Interest, The New Republic, and The American Interest. Her articles have been referenced by (among others) David Brooks (NYT), Andrew Sullivan (The Dish), Bloomberg, The Economist and The Telegraph in their columns, and she is frequently invited to give talks at U.S. think tanks, including the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center and The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

    See Dr. Snegovaya's most recent WaPo article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/15/if-putin-sends-troops-belarus-dont-expect-russians-applaud/

    Also, check out Maxim Mironov's LiveBlog journal page (in Russian) here: https://echo.msk.ru/blog/mmironov/2710287-echo/

    And finally, the link to the Novaya Gazeta article Matt mentions is here: https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2020/09/16/87115-kredit-do-sverzheniya

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on Friday, September 18th, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Host/Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer: Katherine E. Birch
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper. Additional background music by Charlie Harper and Michelle Daniel, Pistol Jazz, Scott Holmes, Kevin MacLeod, Glad Rags, John Bartmann, Ketsa, Gorowski, and Blue Dot Sessions)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Maria Snegovaya.

    48 min
  • The Hidden Green Men with Kiril Avramov

    Bulgaria, Belarus, books—oh my! In this exciting episode hosted by Matt and newbie host Katherine, Assistant Professor Kiril Avramov the University of Texas at Austin sits down to discuss his new book, “Russia’s Hidden Armies,” the recent detainment of Russian mercenaries in Belarus, and the anti-corruption protests currently raging within Bulgaria. Tune in for an episode filled to the brim with shocking details over Post-Communist Bulgaria and secret armies!

    For more on the Wagner mercenaries, read the piece by SlavX blogger Lexi Jovanovic: https://www.slavxradio.com/articles/wagner

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Dr. Kiril Avramov is a post-doctoral research fellow of the Intelligence Studies Project (ISP) at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Avramov was, until December 2017, the Acting Vice-Rector for International Relations and Research at the New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia, Bulgaria and an Assistant Professor of Political Science at NBU. He studied previously at Gustavus Adolphus College (USA/MN), the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), University of Sofia (Bulgaria), Central European University (Hungary), and NBU. He taught in the Department of Political Science at the University of Sofia until 2005 and, from 2006-2010, was also the Director of the international consultancy and research institute “Political Capital” in Bulgaria. In 2010, he was appointed as the Director for International Relations of Political Capital at the firm’s headquarters in Budapest.

    Dr. Avramov’s main research interests are information warfare, psychological operations and mass cognitive hacking, as well as the “weaponization of information” and their respective application and effects on individual and group decision-making processes in the Central and Eastern Europe and MENA regions. Additional areas of interest include political elites’ and non-elites’ decision-making resilience mechanisms and radicalization in post-transition democracies during identified active “psyops” and third party information operations. He is a member of the Bulgarian Political Science Association and the ECPR’s standing groups on Extremism & Democracy, Central and East European Politics, Elites and Political Leadership, Politics and the Arts, and Southeast Europe. He is also a member of the RAN-DERAD network under the Migration and Home Affairs Directorate of the European Commission.

    Connect with Dr. Avramov on Twitter: @avramovok
    Visit him on the Strauss Center website: https://www.strausscenter.org/person/kiril-avramov/ and at the Intelligence Studies Project page: https://intelligencestudies.utexas.edu/about/leadership

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on Monday, August 24th, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Co-Host/Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Co-Host/Associate Producer: Katherine E. Birch
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper. Additional background music by Charlie Harper, Michelle Daniel, and Blue Dot Sessions)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Kiril Avramov.

    54 min
  • The Second Libyan Civil War and the Russia Connexion with Mohamed Abufalgha

    Tom and Matt have the great opportunity to speak with Libyan national Mohamed Abufalgha and expert on the conflict that has been going on for several years now in this oil-rich, war-torn country. Mohamed helps us unpack the Russian-Libyan connection and exactly how many countries have their fingers--and fighters--in Libya. We hope you enjoy!

    For some basic information about the conflict in Libya, here are some great resources including Mohamed's own site in which he blogs about the conflict. We highly recommend both these sources:

    1) Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/whos-who-libyas-war
    2) Mohamed Abufalgha https://abufalgha.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/the-time-is-ripe-for-the-u-s-to-do-good-in-libya/
    Also in the news via Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/libya-rivals-reach-deal-allocate-positions-key-institutions-200911064210263.html

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    Mohamed Abufalga is currently a Research Data Specialist at the Arab Barometer. He is responsible for assisting the AB team in completing data validation, producing data visualizations, and conducting statistical analysis of AB survey data. Prior to joining the research network in 2020, he graduated with a Master’s degree in global policy studies from University of Texas, Austin. He has previously worked on Syrian Palestinian refugee issues in the Middle East and Europe.

    You can follow Mohamed on Twitter for more on the latest Libyan developments and the role of Russia's Wagner mercenaries in the region: @MAbufalgha

    I had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually) with Matthew and Tom for a conversation on Libya and the Russian role in the conflict for the @SlavXRadio podcast.

    مقابلتي مع بودكاست ذا سلافك كونيكشن وحديث عن ليبيا والدور الروسي في الصراع الليبي. https://t.co/p6hi06dx5X

    — Mohamed Abufalgha (@MAbufalgha) September 12, 2020

    @MAbufalgha , Arab Barometer's expert on #Libya, shares his thoughts on the Second Libyan Civil War & the Russia Connexion on the latest episode of @SlavXRadio podcast.
    Tune in: https://t.co/HJIvDAeIQs https://t.co/2SSeEtAJrA

    — الباروميتر العربي /Arab Barometer (@ArabBarometer) September 14, 2020

    NOTE: This episode was recorded on Friday, September 4th, 2020 via Zoom.

    CREDITS

    Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom)
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Milena D-K
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel
    Additional Editing: Jada Geraci

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper, Boss Bass, The Polish Ambassador, Ketsa, and Blue Dot Sessions)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guest: Mohamed Abufalgha.

    38 min
  • "Rival Power: Russia's Challenge to the West in the Balkans" with Dimitar Bechev (BALKAN CIRCLE series)

    The Balkan Circle is a weekly seminar (during the academic year) which features lectures, presentations, exhibits, or open interactive dialogues that focus on any (and all) aspects of historical, political, economic, social and cultural phenomena in the (so-called) Balkans. The seminar is free and open to the public and will be held every Friday from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm online. Visit https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/slavic/events/balkan-circle.php for more information.

    ABOUT THE BALKAN CIRCLE SPECIAL GUEST

    Dimitar Bechev

    Dimitar Bechev is the director of the European Policy Institute, a think-tank based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Previously, he held research fellowships at Harvard University, University of Oxford and the London School of Economics, and headed the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Dr. Bechev has written extensively on EU’s external relations, the politics and modern history of Turkey and the Balkans, and Russia’s foreign policy. His book Rival Power: Russia in Southeast Europe (Yale University Press, 2017) explores Russia’s geopolitical role in the Balkans, Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey. He is a regular contributor to Al Jazeera, the American Interest, Politico, Foreign Policy, and Open Democracy.

    NOTE: This episode was recorded via Zoom on Friday, September 4th, 2020.

    CREDITS

    Balkan Circle organizers: Dr. Mary C. Neuburger and Dr. Kiril Avramov
    Administrative and Technical Support: Cara Keirstead and Roy Flores

    Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Additional music by Ketsa, Scott Holmes, John Bartmann, and Kariatida )

    Executive Producer/Editor: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    Follow us on social media! Twitter: @SlavXRadio Facebook: /slavxradio Instagram: @slavxradio

    Visit https://slavxradio.com for more episodes and content.

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guests: Dimitar Bechev, Kiril Avramov, and Mary C. Neuburger.

    34 min
  • The Białowieża Forest and "Pompik the Bison" with Tomasz Samojlik

    Our guest today is Dr. Tomasz Samojlik, an environmental historian and researcher at the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża. His research focuses on Poland's Białowieża Primeval Forest, one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe. In addition to his research, Dr. Samojlik spoke with us about his work popularising science and scientific knowledge using books, comics and graphic novels for children. In his own words, "My aim is to instill the curiosity for nature, wildlife and science in kids during workshops, seminars and lectures in Poland."

    ABOUT THE GUEST


    According to his Twitter and Instagram account (@wiedzmun and @tomasz.samojlik) he is an "Environmental historian by day, comics and children books creator by night, basketball fan for life." Visit his website for more on his books for children and the Mammal Research Institute's site for more about his work as an environmental historian on the Białowieża Forest. See his bio on our site for more information. https://slavxradio.com/guests/samojlik



    NOTE: This episode was recorded via Zoom on August 24th, 2020. And a very special thanks to Audrius Rickus, a friend of the SlavX team for graciously connecting us with Dr. Samojlik. Also, thank you to CREEES's graduate coordinator and assistant director Agnes Sekowski for joining us on this episode to chime in with her expertise on the topic of Poland's forest.

    CREDITS

    Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect on Twitter: @RehnquistTom)
    Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew)
    Host/Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig
    Guest Host: Agnes Sekowski
    Associate Producer: Lera Toropin
    Associate Producer: Samantha Farmer
    Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch
    Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate
    Contributing Producer: Audrius Rickus

    Executive Editor/Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Additional background music by The Polish Ambassador, Blue Dot Sessions, Kai Engel, and John Bartmann)

    Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com

    DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.

    Special Guests: Agnes Sekowski and Tomasz Samojlik.

    43 min

About The Slavic Connexion

From the publisher's feed

An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian…