russian colonialism 101: a hiatus.
not a goodbye, though.
Russian Colonialism 101 is the first newsletter to shed light on Russian colonialism. The opening essay is public; the curated reading lists and community discussion threads on hidden colonial legacies are behind a paywall. This newsletter is part of the Volya Hub network, expanding global awareness of Russian colonialism.
If you will love this edition, please don’t forget to like, comment and share it so the Substack algorithm starts loving my work.
Lately, I have often found myself meditating over Halyna Mazepa’s works. They vibrate with such powerful Ukrainianness, from colours and patterns to the stories they tell. In a distinctly Ukrainian way, women frequently stand at the heart of these narratives, capturing the prominent role of matriarchy within Ukrainian communities. Mazepa was also deeply fascinated by pagan Ukrainian fairytales and the anti-colonial lore surrounding the Ukrainian Cossacks. If you're unfamiliar with her biography and encounter her art for the first time, it’s hard to imagine that Mazepa was forced to leave Ukraine permanently at just thirteen years old.
Mazepa’s artistic spirit was nurtured by the Ukrainian cultural awakening of the early 20th century, known today as the Executed Renaissance. As a young protégé of the Dnipro-based graphic artist Mykola Pohrebnyak, she learned from someone who, despite aggressive Russification, actively unearthed, preserved and integrated ancient Ukrainian folk motifs into modern graphic art. This mentorship deeply connected the young Mazepa to her Ukrainian heritage, shaping her artistic identity for the rest of her life.
The only reason Halyna Mazepa didn’t become one of the many Ukrainian artists murdered during the Holodomor genocide was because her family fled Russian occupation in 1923. Like millions of Ukrainians seeking refuge abroad today, life for those uprooted was filled with hardship—especially for artists. And even more so for female artists navigating the Western art world in the mid-20th century.
Mazepa never stopped painting. Yet, in search of stable work, she was forced to move constantly. Her second home, in Prague, was bombed during World War II, burying her sons and mother beneath the rubble. In 1947, fleeing yet another Russian takeover—this time in Czechoslovakia—she relocated to Latin America. Back in her homeland, the ongoing Russian occupation ensured that her name was erased so thoroughly that most Ukrainians only begin to rediscover her breathtaking art today, three decades after her death.
Mazepa escaped the Executed Renaissance to become part of the Interrupted Renaissance of Ukrainian artists in exile. For every story of a Ukrainian murdered or assimilated by Russian colonialism, there are dozens of stories of Ukrainians whose potential was mutilated by the hardship of being a migrant.
Halyna Mazepa didn’t allow Russia to win. She kept living and creating a legacy that will inspire generations to come. And yet, I can’t help but wonder: how much more could she have created? How much greater could her impact have been—if not for Russia?
Keep building, living, loving and creating against all odds - is a long tradition of the Ukrainian resistance and the Ukrainian survival story.
That’s why I feel crushed and depressed it has come to this. With a heavy heart, I must temporarily pause the Russian Colonialism 101 newsletter. All your billing is paused, effective immediately.
Three years into this ongoing genocide, the toll on Ukrainians and their friends is immense—emotionally, physically, and financially. My Russian Colonialism 101 guidebook sparked global conversations, but without mainstream publicity or wide distribution, it hasn’t reached bestseller status. We’ve also struggled to secure funding or venues for this year’s book shows, and Volya Hub lost its last core funding over a year ago.
This newsletter community has been a steady source of support and strength. Still, the number of paying subscribers remains below what’s needed to sustain this work—even as a part-time job. After fruitless months of trying to secure a stable income, I’m publishing less often than I want—which doesn’t sit right with me. You deserve more than an irregular, half-baked product. Your trust means more to me than that.
But your loyalty also fuels my fight. I’m not giving up. I’ll keep hustling for funding and fighting for space so this work can continue—and grow.
Accountability is at the heart of everything I do. As I witness another genocide unfolding at the hands of the Russian colonial empire, silence isn’t an option. I want the world to know the names of the victims, their stories, and their resistance. That’s how we build hope. That’s how we secure justice. And we all need a chance to see a clearer path to a better world now than ever.
What does the hiatus mean for you?
The archive remains accessible for the current paying subscribers, but they won’t be billed until the newsletter returns from hiatus. My founding members will retain access to the RC101 database with reading sources, which I will keep updating.
How can you help me to keep the hiatus as short as possible?
Recommend this publication to friends; the archive is rich, and the reading lists are extensive. There’s lots to sift through, even without regular updates.
If you have any leads on institutional funding for the Volya Hub, please DM me.
Please keep spreading the word about the Russian Colonialism 101 guidebook—better distribution, publicity, and sales have been vital to this newsletter, too.
If you want to keep supporting my work financially so I can build up a production chest for more editions, you can choose any of the options here.
Thank you endlessly for standing with me—and for helping ensure that the crimes of Russian colonialism are never ignored or forgotten.
I am also leaving my paying subscribers below with an extensive reading list to fill the time until this newsletter returns from hiatus.
love,
m.
here is what's in store for you this week:
the Mongol roots of Russian Imperialism: separating facts from orientalist nonsense;
“If Putin ever goes on trial at The Hague, much of Russia will deserve to be sitting with him behind the docket”;
Hungarian pop culture has been obsessed with American ‘Indians’, and it has the most mind-blowing connection to the country’s own colonial past;
‘The monster changes its face and names, but the essence remains unchanged - war and imperialist chauvinism, physical and spiritual death.'
curious for more? let's go.