The Slavic Connexion
A chat show on all things Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia
About the show
A fresh international chat show on all things Central/Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia. "It's not typical Texas."
Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
The Slavic Connexion on social media
Episodes
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Metaphor to Direct: The History of Russian New Drama
June 25th, 2024 | Season 6 | 39 mins 4 secs
arts, culture, drama, history, literature, russia
On this episode, Nick speaks with Susanna Weygandt a scholar studying performance theories of Russian and East European theater. She discusses the work of Anatoly Vasiliev, famed Russian theater director for the Moscow School of Dramatic Arts. Thanks for listening!
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Words Without Bars: Russian Prison Literature & the Encyclopedia of the Dog
May 30th, 2024 | Season 6 | 32 mins 18 secs
chernobyl, culture, history, literature, teaching
On this episode, José Vergara (Bryn Mawr College) delves into the challenges and rewards of teaching literature in a carceral setting and his continued exploration of novels born behind bars. From the haunting prose of incarcerated writers to the innovative realms of digital humanities, Vergara shares his many projects such as the Encyclopedia of the Dog, based on the iconic novel "Between Dog and Wolf" by Sasha Sokolov, and the Reactor Room, an immersive Chernobyl Exhibition. Thanks for listening!
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"Dynasty Divided: A Family History of Russian and Ukrainian Nationalism"
May 19th, 2024 | Season 6 | 34 mins 51 secs
history, nationalism, politics, russia, ukraine
On this episode, Misha and Cullan speak with Fabian Baumann, a research associate at the University of Heidelberg, whose latest book Dynasty Divided uniquely approaches the nuanced history of Ukrainian and Russian nationalism through a prominent Kievan family of journalists, scholars, and politicians. Thanks for listening!
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Cyber Crime & Punishment in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War
May 4th, 2024 | Season 6 | 38 mins 14 secs
cyber, geopolitics, media, national security, propaganda, technology, war
On this episode, Kseniya Yurtayeva joins Taylor and Basil to discuss her work on cyberaggression, hybrid warfare, and the difficulty of creating and enforcing cyber law in the midst of a global conflict.
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Liberty After Liberalism: Post-Maidan Transformations in Ukrainian Media
April 27th, 2024 | Season 6 | 57 mins 51 secs
euromaidan, media, politics, russia, ukraine
On this episode, Taras Fedirko from the University of Glasgow joins us on the Forty Acres to share the multilayered story of post-Soviet media in Ukraine and its dramatic transformations from Kravchuk to Zelenskyy.
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Through American Eyes: Citizen Diplomacy and the Post-Soviet Market Economy
April 14th, 2024 | Season 6 | 51 mins 10 secs
business, culture, modern history, politics, russia
On this episode, returning guest Daniel Satinsky, attorney and business consultant, shares about his new book, which tells the story of American participation in the dismantling of the Soviet economy and the creation of the Russian market economy in the 1990s. Creating the Post-Soviet Russian Market Economy: Through American Eyes is based on more than 100 interviews with citizen diplomats, entrepreneurs, bankers, consultants, and aid program administrators active in Russia in those years.
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Reporting in "Relative Unfreedom": A Conversation with Pjotr Sauer of The Guardian
March 31st, 2024 | Season 6 | 30 mins 52 secs
international relations, journalism, politics, protest, russia, war
On this episode, Pjotr Sauer shares his firsthand experiences and reflections on reporting on Russia both before February 24, 2022 from within the country and then after, reporting from outside of the country. He elaborates on the difficulties for all journalists in navigating the challenges and constraints in Russia and expands on the plight of his friend and colleague Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street journalist who has been officially imprisoned by Russian authorities for one year as of March 29, 2024. Thank you for listening!
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Haunted Empire: Power, Trauma, & the Uncanny in Russian Imperial Gothic Literature
March 24th, 2024 | Season 6 | 47 mins 45 secs
history, literature, politics, ukraine russia war
On this episode, Valeria Sobol of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaigne talks with us about her 2000 book "Haunted Empire." Dr. Sobol guides us through the tapestries of Imperial Russia, where crumbling estates and eerie figures cast long shadows over the pages of history. Drawing on her meticulous research and profound insights, she unveils the intricate interplay between Gothic motifs and the imperial legacy, offering a captivating exploration of power, trauma, and the uncanny in Russian literature.
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Ukraine and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections with Terrell Jermaine Starr
March 13th, 2024 | Season 6 | 35 mins
conflict, history, journalism, politics, ukraine russia war
On this episode, independent journalist Terrell Jermaine Starr shares his experiences covering Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022 and explaining to Americans the importance of the nation for global security, democracy, and humanity.
The #Connexions Experts speaker series is dedicated to providing accessible and engaging discussions for a general audience on critical issues pertaining to media, technology, and information globally.
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From Empires and Kings to Hitler and Co.: Democracy and Dictatorship in Central and Eastern Europe
February 17th, 2024 | Season 6 | 43 mins 41 secs
czechoslovakia, germany, history, nationalism, politics, romania, russia, world wars
On this episode, renowned historian John Connelly from the University of California, Berkeley, talks with us about the growth of fascism from democracy, the roots and justification narratives of anti-semitism in Germany and elsewhere, and the development of nationalism and the role of the "leader" in modern history across Europe. Thanks for listening!
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Resiliency, Corruption, and Uncertainty: Assessing Ukraine's Politics and Long-Term Prospects
February 3rd, 2024 | Season 6 | 31 mins 32 secs
economics, politics, russia, ukraine, war
On this episode, political scientist Serhiy Kudelia of Baylor University speaks with us about multiple topics pertaining to Ukraine from the prospects for Ukraine in the long-term, depending on continued western support, to the political effects of the war on Ukrainian leadership. Dr. Kudelia discusses the likelihood of Ukraine gaining any security guarantees from the West and under what conditions Putin might deploy strategic nuclear weapons. Thanks for listening!
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Demystifying Cyber: Building Resiliency in the Modern Technology Landscape
January 21st, 2024 | Season 6 | 48 mins 2 secs
civil society, counterterrorism, intelligence, national security, technology
On this episode, Francesca Lockhart, cybersecurity professor at The University of Texas at Austin, talks about her unique and forward-looking cybersecurity clinic that she developed on the Forty Acres after leading the Homeland Security Unit at the Texas Department of Public Safety. Thanks for listening!
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"Atomic Steppe": The Soviet Nuclear Legacy and the Global Arms Race
January 14th, 2024 | Season 6 | 36 mins 19 secs
culture, history, kazakhstan, race, soviet union, ukraine, war
On this episode, Dr. Togzhan Kassenova joined Taylor and Nick for a conversation about the destructive impact of Soviet nuclear testing in Kazakhstan and the figurative fallout of the dissolution of the USSR which resulted in Russia providing security guarantees to "divorced" states in exchange for the surrender of Soviet weapons of mass destruction. Thanks for listening!
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Ballistics and Ballots: The Ukraine War in 2024 and Beyond with Michael Kofman
January 4th, 2024 | Season 6 | 34 mins 27 secs
conflict, politics, strategy, ukraine russia war
On this first episode of 2024, we reflect on the War in Ukraine and Ukraine's prospects for continued political and military support in 2024 and beyond with Carnegie Endowment's senior fellow and renowned military analyst Michael Kofman.
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Mordor to Moscow, Potter to Putin: Into the Slavic Multiverse with Eliot Borenstein
December 23rd, 2023 | Season 6 | 42 mins 3 secs
history, literature, politics, pop culture, religion
On this episode, Eliot Borenstein returns for a fun conversation about the political and historical themes in pop culture and the abundance of Marvel, Harry Potter, LOTR, etc. fan fiction that emerged post-socialism. We hope you enjoy!
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Battle Without Borders: Cyberwarfare and the Russian (Dis)advantage
December 17th, 2023 | Season 6 | 35 mins 21 secs
cyber, geopolitics, media, national security, propaganda, technology, war
On this episode, cyber expert Gavin Wilde joined us to talk all things cyberwarfare. He defined the term and its distinction from information warfare; shared the reasons why he believes studying Russia is important for this complex, actively developing, and hard-to-measure battlefront; and touched on the differences between the US and Russian military cyber and information operations and structures. Thanks for listening!