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.
For centuries, Russia has hidden its dark side behind a facade of romantic myths. Myths that paint it as a victim, a liberator, a misunderstood missioner. For centuries, Russia's propaganda machine has spun a web of disinformation, painting itself to the rest of the world as a selfless missioner who is ‘saving’ the neighbors from barbarian selves. For centuries, Russia gate-kept any indigenous perspective that would conflict with this myth.
But what if the truth is simpler? Join us as we deconstruct the five biggest lies about Russia, and expose the ugly truth hidden beneath: a colonial empire.
For an intro episode, I invited my close friends and brilliant Ukrainian voices to set the tone for the entire season on the right note.
Mariam Naiem is a Ukrainian researcher of decoloniality. Her must-reads would include an essay on the myth of the USSR being anti-racism champion, an explainer why the ongoing war in Ukraine is a colonial war and the colonial vibe of forcing Ukrainians and Russians into the same dialogue space.
Val Voshchevska is a Ukrainian author and human rights campaigner. Do check out her great fact-checking on why one shouldn’t fear the breakdown of the Russian colonial empire.
You can listen the show on all major podcast platforms, too.
Ukrainian voices and media face lots of censoring and gatekeeping, both online and offline. Please rate and leave comments under this podcast wherever you listen to it — it will help it to break through the filters to the widest audience possible.
The empire will fall.
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