The Slavic Connexion
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
198 episodes of The Slavic Connexion since the first episode, which aired on March 11th, 2019.
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Compounding Conflicts: Russia in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa with Robert Freedman
December 23rd, 2022 | Season 5 | 45 mins 2 secs
africa, geopolitics, middle east, russia, security, ukraine, war
On this episode, venerated political scientist Dr. Robert Freedman joins us to expound on the various wars and conflicts that Russia has gotten into, not only in Ukraine, but also in Syria, Libya, Mali, and more. Dr. Freedman articulates Putin's current goals as he sees them, touches on the liberal use of the Wagner Group by Russia, and prognosticates on the future of the war in Ukraine and Ukraine's prospects in joining Western security organizations. Thanks for listening (and happy holidays to all)!
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The Reception Desk: Soviet Bureaucracy with a Human Face, 1979-1985
December 13th, 2022 | Season 5 | 32 mins 18 secs
bureaucracy, history, migration, social history, soviet union
On this episode, Lera speaks with Emily Joan Elliott, H-Net associate director for research and publications, about what got her interested in Soviet and post-Soviet history and her particular focus on migration to Moscow and the Priemnaia (reception desk) of the Supreme Soviet--a bureaucratic space available to all citizens for voicing concerns and petitions.
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The Politics of Soviet Football in the 1950s and 60s
November 28th, 2022 | Season 5 | 24 mins 27 secs
football, germany, history, olympics, politics, soviet union, sports
On this episode, Sergio talks with Yacov Zohn, football historian and former semi-professional footballer in Russia, France, and the US. Yacov's research into the development of Soviet football sheds light on the immense political pressure placed on the primary USSR team, the Sbornaya, to win each and every game--but ultimately the unrealistic aim to earn gold at the Olympics in 1952 and 1956 is never realized, and football remains one of only two gold medal categories that eluded the USSR.
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"Budapest's Children: Humanitarian Relief in the Aftermath of the Great War"
November 23rd, 2022 | Season 5 | 27 mins 54 secs
humanitarian aid, hungary, united states, world war i
On this episode, Friederike Kind-Kovács visits with us in Austin, Texas, to talk about her latest book which explores the ways in which migration, hunger, and destitution affected children's lives, casting light on their particular vulnerability in times of distress.
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Russian Law: "Is There Any?" with Will Pomeranz
November 16th, 2022 | Season 5 | 36 mins 39 secs
aseees, history, law, russia, ukraine, war
On this episode, recorded in-person at the ASEEES 2022 Convention in Chicago, Lera and Taylor sit down with Will Pomeranz, the director of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, to talk about his experience practicing Russian law in Russia, the work of the Kennan Institute, the evolution (and devolution) of Russian law from the tsarist period through Putin today, and the legality of the referenda in Ukraine. We hope you enjoy!
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"The Demise of the Multiethnic Soviet Union" with Brigid O'Keeffe
November 8th, 2022 | Season 5 | 46 mins 49 secs
culture, history, language, race, soviet union
On this episode, author and historian Brigid O'Keeffe joins Sergio and Misha to discuss her research and newly released work on the rise and fall of the multiethnic Soviet Union. Thanks for listening!
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"Oil, the State, and War" with Emma Ashford
October 31st, 2022 | Season 5 | 39 mins 34 secs
energy, foreign policy, history, middle east, oil, russia, war
On this episode, continuing the discussion about the effects of the War in Ukraine on the energy sector, Taylor and Lera speak with Foreign Policy columnist and Stimson Center senior fellow Emma Ashford who shares about her book "Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policy of Petrostates." Thanks for listening!
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Shifting Sands: The Middle East and North Africa in Russia's War in Ukraine
October 25th, 2022 | Season 5 | 40 mins 27 secs
geopolitics, middle east, opec, russia, security, ukraine, war
On this episode, guest Nicole Robinson expounds on the region geographically and strategically situated in between giants: the Middle East. She explains how MENA countries have responded to Russia's War in Ukraine and sheds some light on the future of the region as the conflict evolves and Russia's capacity to arm and feed its regional allies dwindles.
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"Ingredients of Change": History of Food in Bulgaria with Mary Neuburger
October 21st, 2022 | Season 5 | 42 mins 23 secs
balkans, culture, food history, soviet history
On this episode, Taylor talks with the director of CREEES, Dr. Mary Neuburger, about her latest book entitled Ingredients of Change: The History and Culture of Food in Modern Bulgaria. Thanks for listening!
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"The Fastest Game in the World" with Bruce Berglund
October 14th, 2022 | Season 5 | 48 mins 9 secs
canada, eastern europe, history, hockey, olympics, putin, soviet union, sports
On this episode, Eliza talks with sports historian Bruce Berglund who shares his expertise on the global development of hockey, the rise of the sport in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and its role in the expression of national identity on the international stage. Thanks for listening!
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Putin's War in Ukraine: Mobilization, Annexation, and the Coming Winter
October 7th, 2022 | Season 5 | 42 mins 13 secs
current events, politics, putin, russia, ukraine, war
On this episode, Lera and Taylor welcome returning guest Leonid Ragozin who candidly updates us on the war in Ukraine and helps us make sense of the fog of this conflict and the continual stream of headline-making actions emanating from the Kremlin.
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Putting Poland, Ukraine, and Russia in Context with Norman Davies
September 28th, 2022 | Season 5 | 34 mins 33 secs
europe, history, poland, politics, russia, ukraine
On this episode, luminary historian Professor Norman Davies joins us to talk about the state of Polish studies, the deep history of Ukraine when it was ruled from Warsaw and Krakow, and the importance of broadening European and Slavic studies as taught in academic spaces. This episode was all about historical context, so we hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening!
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"Black Garden Aflame": The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict with Artyom Tonoyan
September 21st, 2022 | Season 5 | 56 mins 10 secs
armenia, azerbaijan, caucasus, conflict, geopolitics, history, russia, turkey, war
On this first episode of season 5, Lera and Zack talk with Dr. Artyom Tonoyan about the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, delving into the history of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russia's role and presence as mediator, and the various geopolitical vectors in the region. Thanks for listening!
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Black Widows: Female Terrorists in Chechnya
August 29th, 2022 | Season 4 | 41 mins 19 secs
caucasus, religion, russia, terrorism, war
Recent dual-degree CREEES and LBJ Global Policies Studies MA graduate Lucia Winkeler returns to the podcast to discuss her research and report “Chechen Chernie Vdovi: The Most Lethal Human ‘Black Widows’” in which she examines the motivations and explanations for Chechen women’s involvement in extremist organizations and actions.
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"All Future Plunges to the Past" with José Vergara
May 28th, 2022 | Season 4 | 35 mins 43 secs
cold war, culture, history, literature, soviet union, teaching
With the end of the 2021-2022 academic year, we are taking a short reprieve before beginning our new season. In the meantime, we have the pleasure of bringing out a wonderful episode from our backlog with guest José Vergara who speaks both about his passion for Russian literature and his book on the reception of James Joyce in Soviet Russia, which came out in October 2021. We hope you'll enjoy this conversation.
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The Far-Fetched Far Right Non-Story with Andreas Umland
May 10th, 2022 | Season 4 | 46 mins 9 secs
international law, nuclear war, politics, propaganda, russia, ukraine, war
On this episode, Andreas Umland talks with Lera and Cullan about the Right and the Far Right political movements in Ukraine, addressing the ultranationalist claims propounded by Russian propaganda versus the reality reflected at the election polls in Ukraine since 2014. Dr. Umland convincingly argues that the Far Right narrative is a "non-story" and largely a "manipulation of consciousness."