The Russian Colonialism 101 guidebook is now also an audio show, done in partnership between the Ukrainian legacy newsroom Ukraïnska Pravda and our Volya Hub.
Committing the worst imaginable crimes with blind innocence is not random for Russia. It is a centuries-old culture that allows various Russian regimes to avoid accountability for colonial violence. Not only through state propaganda but also in arts and literature, Russian society has been cultivating the image of messianic victims for centuries. Even today, both Putin and the Russian opposition echo each other in claiming that Russia never attacked anyone with evil intent, that there’s integral goodness to Russian imperial benevolence, and that Russia's expansionist wars have always been defensive.
In this episode, we feature the work of Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova, the most important scholar of Russian colonialism out there. When the horror of genocide in Ukraine unfolded in 2022, Professor Kassymbekova mobilized decades of her research and personal intimate knowledge of Russian colonial violence, to conceptualize the term ‘Imperial Innocence.’ It is a shortcut to understanding why Russia keeps invading its neighbors over and over again.
This is Matryoshka of Lies. The Imperial Innocence Episode.
Here are some of the key reads featuring the work of Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova:
Europe’s last empire: Putin’s Ukraine war exposes Russia’s imperial identity
‘Despite Cultures: Early Soviet Rule in Tajikistan,’ a 2016 book by Dr. Kassymbekova documenting Russian colonial policies to solidify the control over nations in the southeastern part of Central Asia. It is a great read to illustrate how the Kremlin uses artificial ethno-nationalist policies to divide and rule indigenous communities.
Genocide, assimilation, theft: Kazakh historian reveals Russian colonialism’s ruthless playbook.
Additionally, here are some notable stories we also feature in this episode:
The Circassian Genocide, one of the worst crimes of colonialism ever committed. A documentary by Kings & Generals.
Circassians. A documentary episode of the Thirteen series. “The Circassians in the Caucasus are considered among the oldest nations in the world. Following the genocide and deportation of more than one million Circassians in the 19th century, they settled in what is now Israel. The film depicts the dilemmas of a modern, seemingly-western oriented culture which is determined, at the same time, to maintain its ancient heritage.”
Genocide of the Circassians by the Russian Empire. An encyclopedia entry by the Where Are Our People? project that documents the history of Russia's kidnapping, deporting, and genociding of indigenous people.
150 Years Ago, Sochi Was the Site of a Horrific Ethnic Cleansing.
Podcast | Fighting Russia’s colonial legacy in the North Caucasus
You can listen the show on all major podcast platforms, too.
If you liked this show, please spare a minute to rate, comment and share it. The Ukrainian production team creates every new episode against all odds, amid bombings and blackouts. So this show has to trend and you can make it happen.
The empire will fall.
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