What is Russian Colonialism 101?

Russian Colonialism 101 is the first newsletter dedicated to expanding global awareness of russian colonialism. It originates from my Russian Colonialism 101 guidebook and amplifies stories about the past and present of russian imperial domination, as well as those who resisted and fought back.

The newsletter’s core purpose:

russian colonialism is a continuous, centuries‑long system of domination, expansion, and cultural erasure.
This newsletter documents that system through historical evidence, lived experience, and indigenous perspectives.
Its mission is to make russian colonialism legible to global audiences who have been conditioned to overlook or misdiagnose it.

Why this newsletter exists:

For a decade, I worked to raise mainstream awareness of russian imperialism and colonialism. Few listened.
Two days before russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, I published a thread mapping every russian invasion of the last 100 years.
The goal was to show that the attack on Ukraine was not an anomaly but a repeatable colonial algorithm.
The thread went viral, reaching tens of millions and sparking a global awareness campaign.
The thread evolved into an illustrated guidebook, a storytelling hub, a podcast, this newsletter, and a video explainer series.

What this newsletter covers:

Historical russian colonial expansion: evidence‑based accounts of invasions, annexations, forced migrations, and cultural suppression.
Contemporary colonial practices: how modern russia continues imperial domination through language policy, propaganda, military aggression, and identity erasure.
Indigenous and anti‑colonial resistance: stories of communities resisting russian imperial violence, from the Arctic and North Asia to Eastern Europe and Ukraine.
Decolonial analysis for global audiences: frameworks that explain why democratic societies repeatedly misdiagnose and misunderstand russia.

❤️🖤 Who’s Maksym Eristavi?

Maksym Eristavi is a Ukraine‑born journalist and writer focused on exposing the global legacy of russian colonialism.
He describes himself as the “russian colonialism storyteller‑in‑chief.”
His family history spans Ukrainian, Asian, Roma, and Georgian roots — communities repeatedly targeted by russian imperial violence.
His journalism career spans two decades, championing mainstream English-language coverage of Eastern Europe by indigenous voices.
He founded Volya Hub, the first storytelling hub dedicated to Russian colonialism, and co‑founded Ukrainian Spaces, a multimedia project decolonising global conversations about Ukraine.
He also founded the largest network for independent journalism in Eastern Europe and pioneered queer representation in regional media.
His work has been featured at universities, parliaments, foreign ministries, and hearings at the US Congress and the European Parliament.

Find out more at maksymeristavi.com

💙💛 What Paid Subscribers Get

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💙💛 What Paid FOUNDING Subscribers Get

You can personally request topics for newsletters related to Russian colonialism and decolonization.
Access to a mini-website with personally curated sources about Russian colonialism.
All extra proceeds go to support my family and friends at the frontline in Ukraine.