Cullan
Co-Host of The Slavic Connexion
Cullan grew up in Boston and has a B.A. from the University of Vermont in History and Political Science. He is now pursuing a master's degree in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include Czech history, 19th and 20th century Central Europe, uses of digital consumer media as tools for public history, national identity, and what do those demanding "historically accurate media" even mean? Before moving to Austin, Cullan worked in Vermont both as a paralegal and trivia host, which are critical experiences for any good podcast host.
Cullan has hosted 30 Episodes.
-
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!
-
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!
-
On the Wings of Russian Propaganda: Slovakia and the Decline of Democracy in Central Europe
October 19th, 2023 | Season 6 | 34 mins 28 secs
On this episode, Slovakian politician and academic Martin Klus talks with us during a trip to Texas about the state of the Slovak Republic following the recent elections favoring a more Russia-friendly government, which will have negative implications for the EU, NATO, and especially its neighbor to the east, Ukraine.
-
Bohemian Forgery: The Legendary Czech Manuscripts and National Myth
September 2nd, 2023 | Season 6 | 38 mins 28 secs
culture, history, literature, nationalism
On this episode, historian Dr. David Cooper from the University of Illinois shares the surprising true story of the forgery and dramatic discovery of two Czech manuscripts in the early 19th century which shaped the Czech cultural revival during "Medieval mania" in Europe. Thanks for listening!
-
Post-Soviet Protests, Politics, and Premature Dismissals of Russia's Regional Governors
August 18th, 2023 | Season 5 | 33 mins 6 secs
elections, politics, protest, russia, war
On this episode, Lera and Cullan chat with Tatiana Tkacheva, a research fellow at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, about authoritarianism in Russia and the strategies of the autocrat in dealing with regional governors. In her paper, she and her co-authors attempt to answer this question by using the example of premature withdrawals and dismissals of Russia’s regional governors from office. Tatiana also talks about her previous publications about the United Russia (UR) party and their declining popularity in Russia. Thanks for listening!
-
Milan Rastislav Štefánik: The Slovak National Hero and Co-Founder of Czechoslovakia
January 20th, 2023 | Season 5 | 32 mins 53 secs
czechoslovakia, history, politics, ussr
On this episode, Cullan talks with Professor Michal Kšiňan about his monograph on the Slovak national hero and co-founder of Czechoslovakia, Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Michal talks about Štefánik's military career and meteoric rise and the place he continues to hold in Czechoslovakia history and memory. Thanks for listening!
-
"In the Storms of Transformation": History of Balkan Migration and Globalization with Ulf Brunnbauer
January 7th, 2023 | Season 5 | 28 mins 32 secs
anthropology, balkans, history, migration, society and culture
On this episode, Cullan sits down with lauded historian Ulf Brunnbauer whose research on the social history and historical anthropology of Southeast Europe reveals that the Balkan region is in many ways more globalized than the rest of Europe.
-
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!
-
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."
-
NATO and the "Bear in the Woods" with Sergey Radchenko
January 26th, 2022 | Season 4 | 51 mins 9 secs
china, cold war, conflict, history, nato, russia, ukraine
On this episode, Lera and Cullan have the chance to talk with Sakhalin-born historian Dr. Sergey Radchenko, who reflects on his first introduction to the United States via East Texas, Sino-Soviet and Sino-Russian relations, and the current Russian-Ukraine conflict and how the West's response is affecting the situation. We hope you enjoy!
-
Everything You Need to Know About Eastern Europe (and More!) with Tomek Jankowski
December 13th, 2021 | Season 4 | 56 mins 26 secs
cold war, europe, history, poland, politics, revolution
On this, the 30th anniversary of the institution of martial law in Poland, we talked with Eastern Europe historian Tomek Jankowski to commemorate this momentous point in modern history which approximately coincides with the release of the 2nd edition of his comprehensive and entertaining history of Eastern Europe. Sharing with us his personal experiences and stories from his time in Hungary as a student to his getting caught in the Romanian revolution of 1989, Tomek reflects on the unimaginable changes in Eastern Europe since the 1st edition of his book (published in 2013). We hope you enjoy this amazing discussion!
-
"And Still We Rise": Uncovering the Story of the Bosnian Genocide
November 5th, 2021 | Season 4 | 38 mins 16 secs
bosnia, education, ethnic conflict, genocide, post-communist, serbia, yugoslavia
Author Jordan Steven Sher joins Lera and Cullan to talk about his new historical fiction novel which authentically and carefully explores the grossly overlooked Bosnian Genocide of Muslims and Catholic Croats during the Bosnian War of 1992-95, as carried out by Slobodan Milošević of Serbia. This was a great foundational and human-centric understanding of the conflict in the region for anyone who might be interested in Yugoslav history. Thank you for listening!
-
Mountains without Borders: Discovering the Carpathians with Patrice Dabrowski
October 21st, 2021 | Season 4 | 38 mins 26 secs
environmental history, forest, geographic history, mountain ranges, poland, ukraine
In this episode, Patrice Dabrowski takes us on a historical journey through the highly understudied Carpathian Mountains of Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Her brand new book details the many forces at play in the mountainous region over the years from 1860 to 1980 and shows how this area gradually went from terra incongita to tourist attraction. We hope you enjoy!
-
"Frozen by the Thaw": The Soviet Masculinity Crisis of the Long Sixties with Marko Dumančić
October 9th, 2021 | Season 4 | 42 mins 32 secs
culture, film, gender, history, soviet union
On this episode, Marko Dumančić joins Lera and Cullan to talk about his recently published monograph entitled Men Out of Focus: The Soviet Masculinity Crisis in the Long Sixties wherein he unpacks the changing conceptions of men in post-Stalinist society by taking a deeper look at Soviet films made at the time. This is a fun conversation, riddled with film talk. We hope you enjoy!
-
The Unexplored History of the USSR, Afghanistan, and the Cold War with Timothy Nunan
September 24th, 2021 | Season 4 | 43 mins 30 secs
afghanistan, cold war, international history, ussr history
Dr. Timothy Nunan from the Free University of Berlin joins Cullan and new host Sergio to discuss his latest book, The Humanitarian Invasion: Global Development in Cold War Afghanistan. With his research interests spanning from Soviet-Russian religious internationalism to the USSR’s relations with the global south, we are lucky to host such a knowledgeable resource on the pod! Take a listen!
-
Decolonization in Eastern Europe: A Critical Geographer's Perspective with Zoltán Ginelli
July 30th, 2021 | Season 3 | 41 mins 11 secs
central europe, geography, history, hungary
Zoltán Ginelli from Budapest joins Zach and Cullan to talk about his field of critical geography and the framing of colonial history of Central Europe following both World War II and the Cold War. We hope you enjoy this conversation!