russian colonialism 101
russian colonialism 101
Matryoshka of Lies: Imperial Innocence.
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Matryoshka of Lies: Imperial Innocence.

The culture of Russians pretending the centuries of colonial crimes are not done in their names.
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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:

Additionally, here are some notable stories we also feature in this episode:

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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russian colonialism 101
russian colonialism 101
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