Ukrainian Roots Podcast / Подкаст «Українське коріння»

Words – and language in general – are at once a tool in this war, a front in this war, and a barometer for how the war is going. Language can sway hearts and minds, stave off disinformation, and also harm us through propaganda. And if we listen close enough, language can tell us where we are in this war and, perhaps, help us achieve our goals.

For this wildly fascinating episode of the Ukrainian Roots Podcast, Sabrina is joined by someone who has dedicated her life to the study of language: Dr. Valentyna Ushchyna, who is a Professor of English Philology at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University of Lutsk, Ukraine. She is a Fulbright Scholar, an author, a public speaker, an educator, and a voice for media literacy, sociolinguistics, and critical thinking. She more than most understands the power of words in this moment. 

Dr. Ushchyna speaks with Sabrina about the intersection of words and warfare. What can the arena of language tell us about the state of the war? What is derussification, and how can we fold it into our lives? How can we protect ourselves or the non-Ukrainians in our lives from falling prey to Moscovian propaganda? Find this thought-provoking conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on the Ukrainian Roots Podcast site. 

We might be biased, but we stand firm in the belief that Ukrainian is the most beautiful, lyrical, clever, and nuanced language on Planet Earth. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the first things that diaspora Ukrainians lost when mass migration swept them far from Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century. This is especially evident in Canada, where there are more than 1.3 million Ukrainians but only around 10% speak the language. For Ukrainian Canadians like podcast host Sabrina Rani Furminger whose families lost the language along the way, it’s not uncommon for them to experience a sense of loss and yearning where Ukrainian is concerned. But many diaspora Ukrainians are finding the language again. They’re reclaiming it as a form of resistance, to heal intergenerational trauma, and to strengthen their connection to their Ukrainianness. 

Recently, Sabrina invited Tetyana Denford to the podcast to speak with her about this most beautiful of languages. Tetyana is a brilliant Ukrainian American author and freelance writer who is equally skilled in both English and Ukrainian. She’s a translator for Frontline News, has written and edited articles for magazines in New York and the UK, and is featured in The Telegraph and The New York Times. Tetyana’s first novel, Motherland (which was relaunched by Bookouture and Hachette UK as The Child of Ukraine), was inspired in her бабуся’s storied life, love, and losses. Additionally, Tetyana worked as a translator on the Academy Award winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, and earlier this year, her latest translation work with Frontline PBS was released as 2000 Meters to Andriivka.

In this very special episode, Tetyana reflects on her own relationship with the Ukrainian language, how she feels when she encounters russian in the wild, and what we lose when we lose our language.

Putin’s war in Ukraine has wreaked havoc on all aspects of life for Ukrainians, including the very notion of home. Since February 2022, an estimated 3.7 million Ukrainians have been displaced internally, while an additional 6.9 million have sought refuge outside of the country. Whether internally or externally displaced, to be displaced is to feel like you’ve been quite literally knocked out of place. Your default place is safe at home – maybe in your family home in Odesa or your new flat in Kyiv – but the terrorist state knocked the world off its axis and, you, out of place. So now, you’re where you need to be to be safe, but a part of you is where you were, where your friends and family and everything you’ve ever known is still under fire. And so you occupy this uncomfortable space between places. Although it’s a relatively safe existence, it’s not without its burdens.

Khrystyna Syvolap lives in the space between places. The Ukrainian filmmaker (Viddana) arrived in Canada in spring 2022, determined to provide for her young daughter and build something resembling a normal life thousands of miles from home. In this contemplative and deeply personal conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Khrystyna reflects on her journey to this new normal, the emotional distance she feels from friends back home, the heartache she experiences as her daughter learns Canadian history (but not Ukrainian history) in her new school, and her complicated feelings about her own future.