The Slavic Connexion

"Writing Resistance": An Inside Look at Russian Carceral Literature with Sarah J. Young

November 24th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  32 mins 53 secs

In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Sarah Young of University College London about her upcoming book "Writing Resistance: Revolutionary Memoirs of Shlissel’burg Prison, 1884-1906" as well as the genre known as carceral literature -- where do Russian literary titans like Dostoevsky and Shalamov fit in? Dr. Young presents some fascinating research from the many memoirs she has read and translated, and we are happy that she was able to share these important cultural insights with us. Thanks for listening!

Russian Meme Culture, "Shirtless Putin," and Pussy Riot with Eliot Borenstein

November 16th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  42 mins 14 secs

humor, masculinity, memes, pussy riot, putin, shrek

On this fun episode, Dr. Eliot Borenstein from NYU joins us to talk about his research on memes and meme culture in Russia as well as his freshly-released book on Pussy Riot (available from Bloomsbury). We hope you enjoy!

On Russia's War in Syria with Colonel (ret.) Robert Hamilton

November 9th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  44 mins 38 secs

assad, erdogan, protests, putin, russia, syria, turkey

From the Foreign Policy Research Institute comes a fantastic, dispassionate resource on Russia's intervention into Syria. Here to speak with us about the book (available for free download) and the process of compiling this insightful tome written by both American and Russian experts is Associate professor of Eurasian Studies at the US Army War College Robert E. Hamilton. Enjoy!

The Eurasia Downbeat with Alex Kokcharov

November 4th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  35 mins 18 secs

belarus, cis, eurasia, former soviet states, lukashenko, navalny, opposition, protests, russia, ukraine, zelensky

On this whirlwind episode, Tom visits with London-based journalist and risk research analyst Alex Kokcharov on an impressive array of events and current conflicts across the CIS region. This is hardly a boring episode and we don't sit on one topic for too long, so if you're looking for a quick, but in-depth Eurasia fix (while we in the US patiently, calmly wait on those election results), look no further!

"Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans" with Jasmin Mujanovic

October 25th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  51 mins 58 secs

balkans, china, democratization, elections, european union, regional politics

Dr. Jasmin Muajnovic, a political scientist focused on democratization and social movements in the Western Balkans and a host of podcast "Sarajevo Calling", joins Samantha and Cullan for an in-depth discussion on the state of democracy in the region in 2020. This is a great walkthrough of the elite maneuvering and politics in the Western Balkans and which nuclear powers hold sway and influence in the region. We hope you enjoy!

"Dance of Compromise": Putin's Russia, Disinformation, and the Wily Man with Joshua Yaffa

October 19th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  35 mins 9 secs

disinformation, journalism, pandemic, russia, us elections

The New Yorker's Moscow correspondent, Joshua Yaffa, joins us from Moscow in fact to talk about the conditions in Russia during the pandemic, his latest book "Between Two Fires", and the oft-debated Russian interference in US elections. This is a fascinating conversation, and we hope you enjoy!

Kyrgyzstan's Uphill Battle for Democracy with Nazgul Kulova

October 16th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  41 mins 27 secs

democracy, elections, kyrgyzstan, organized crime, protests

On this episode, we discuss the ongoing political crisis in Kyrgyzstan that resulted from the disputed October 4th elections with Nazgul Kulova, a resident of Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan) and a policy analyst in the mining sector. As a former government official at the State Agency for Mineral Resources, she has worked with various international organizations and is thus a valuable inside resource. We hope you enjoy!

Matt and Nazgul discussed Kyrgyzstan's tumultuous political history, the motivations for constant upheaval, and the consequences of the latest political crisis gripping the country.

"Lukashenko Has No Future" with David Marples

October 11th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  47 mins 37 secs

belarus, dictators, history, protests, revolution, russia

We're back to Belarus with this episode, but this time we take an in-depth look at the still-thrumming situation from the dictator's perspective with one of the foremost experts on the region, Dr. David Marples. Dr. Marples talks about the potential end of the dictator while rounding out the context for the current revolution, allowing us to see just how and why Alexander Lukashenko came into power. We hope you enjoy!

Siberian Overtones: Stories and Songs from Tuva with Dr. Susan Crate

October 6th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  32 mins 57 secs

culture, musical heritage, siberia, throat singing, tuva

Dr. Susan Crate returns to the show to share her 1990 journey to Tuva, the geographic center of Asia. She shares with us original recordings of Tuvan throat singing, labor songs, ovaa prayers, a bear dance ritual, and much more. We hope you enjoy!

Living in a Post-Truth World: How Did We Get Here?

October 3rd, 2020  |  Season 3  |  38 mins 6 secs

climate change, covid-19, disinformation, education, media literacy, philosophy, politics, science denial

Philosopher, professor, and writer Dr. Lee McIntyre joins us virtually from Boston to discuss his highly relevant book Post-Truth (MIT Press), the purpose of propaganda, science denial in English-speaking nations, and the ubiquitous problem of disinformation in today's world. We ask Dr. McIntyre how did we get here and what (if anything) can we do about it?

The Greater (Dysfunctional) Western Family with Leonid Ragozin

September 29th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  36 mins

democracy, investigations, putin, russia, ukraine

Prominent independent journalist Leonid Ragozin graciously joins us from Latvia to discuss the perception of Russia in the West, the origins of Western xenophobia towards Russia, his view of Vladimir Putin in 2000, and his experience working as a freelance journalist on the investigations of high profile figures murdered in Ukraine. We hope you enjoy!

Post-Election Passivity and the Poisonous Politics of Petrostates with Maria Snegovaya

September 24th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  47 mins 49 secs

belarus, civic engagement, educational exchange, elections, navalny, russia, venezuela, youth

In this episode, Matt discussed with Dr. Maria Snegovaya the leading issues of the day in the Slavic region. Namely, the aftermath of Russia's recent regional elections, the Kremlin's response to Alexei Navalny's poisoning, and the ongoing spectre of Russian intervention in Belarus's post-election crisis. We hope you enjoy!

The Hidden Green Men with Kiril Avramov

September 19th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  53 mins 2 secs

belarus, bulgaria, corruption, mass protest, mercenaries, russia

In this insider's episode hosted by Matt and newbie host Katherine, Intelligence Studies Project fellow Dr. Kiril Avramov discusses his new book, “Russia’s Hidden Armies,” Belarusian turmoil, and the anti-corruption protests continuing within Bulgaria. This was a packed session, so we hope you're ready for this. Enjoy!

The Second Libyan Civil War and the Russia Connexion with Mohamed Abufalgha

September 11th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  37 mins 23 secs

civil war, libya, mercenaries, russia

Tom and Matt have the great opportunity to speak with Libyan national Mohamed Abufalgha and expert on the conflict that has been going on for several years now in this oil-rich, war-torn country. Mohamed helps us unpack the Russian-Libyan connection and exactly how many countries have their fingers--and fighters--in Libya. We hope you enjoy!

The Białowieża Forest and "Pompik the Bison" with Tomasz Samojlik

September 4th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  42 mins 27 secs

belarus, bison, environment, environmental activism, environmental history, forest, poland

On this episode, Cullan speaks with Dr. Tomasz Samojlik, an environmental historian and researcher at the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża. In addition to his research, Dr. Samojlik spoke with us about his work popularizing science and scientific knowledge using books, comics and graphic novels for children. Enjoy!

"The Strategist": The Legacy of Brent Scowcroft with Dr. Bartholomew Sparrow

August 29th, 2020  |  Season 3  |  52 mins 38 secs

cold war, gorbachev, intelligence, iraq war, national security, scowcroft, soviet union

On this episode, Tom speaks with UT's own Professor Sparrow about his 2015 book on legendary multi-administration US National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft who sadly passed away recently on August 6th, 2020. This is a great conversation, remembering the unassuming but brilliant strategist who was so integral during the late Cold War period. Hope you enjoy!