The Slavic Connexion
A fresh international chat show on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia from The University of Texas at Austin
About the show
A fresh international chat show on the Slavic world from the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at The University of Texas at Austin. "It's not typical Texas."
The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies condemns the Russian Federation’s military invasion of Ukraine. We stand in support of the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their lives and sovereignty in the face of the unjustified invasion by Russian military forces.
Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by 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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Operation "Denver" and Russia's Disinformation Playbook with Douglas Selvage
April 30th, 2022 | Season 4 | 35 mins 55 secs
cold war, disinformation, intelligence, propaganda, russia, ukraine, ussr
On this episode, continuing our series on Putin's War in Ukraine, Lera and Sergio speak with Douglas Selvage at the Humboldt University of Berlin about his research on the disinformation cooperation between KGB and STASI during the Cold War and specifically the work of Operation "Denver" in the 1980s. Dr. Selvage talks of how these same Cold War propaganda tactics are nearly verbatim recycled today in Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine.
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Youth Political Engagement in the 2019 Ukrainian Presidential Election
April 15th, 2022 | Season 4 | 45 mins 34 secs
elections, politics, social media, ukraine
In this episode, we feature participants of a UT student-driven project back in spring 2019 which examined Ukrainian youth political engagement during the presidential election in which Volodymyr Zelenskyy ultimately beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko. The team discusses the fascinating process by which they began their research, how they connected with Ukrainian students via Skype (not Zoom!), and what it was like when they eventually traveled to Ukraine itself. The lasting relationships and connections they made during that memorable month abroad in summer 2019 inform their thinking and processing of the War in Ukraine today. Take a listen!
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Putin's War in Ukraine: Russian Roulette with Leonid Ragozin
March 23rd, 2022 | Season 4 | 41 mins 36 secs
global order, nato, politics, russia, ukraine, war
Journalist Leonid Ragozin joins us to talk about the irrationality of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Zelensky's steadfast resistance which has led to the present stalemate situation that we now have. Ragozin calls Putin's gamble a suicidal move, not just for Putin's regime but for Russia itself.
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Putin's War in Ukraine: "Truth will be told" with Alex Kokcharov
March 9th, 2022 | Season 4 | 48 mins 12 secs
information, propaganda, putin, russia, ukraine, war
Returning guest, Alex Kokcharov, joins us from London to share his personal views and stories on the war in Ukraine. He talks of the stark informational divides that have arisen between Russia and Ukraine, wherein even family on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border cannot agree on what is happening in this conflict or why.
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Putin's War in Ukraine: The History of the Conflict with David Marples
March 5th, 2022 | Season 4 | 46 mins 40 secs
belarus, conflict, history, nato, politics, soviet union, ukraine russia war
On this episode, returning guest Dr. David Marples, professor of history at the University of Alberta, graciously joins us to help unpack, if not understand, Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine by providing a basic yet thorough overview of the conflict's history. Visit slavxradio.com/ukraine for ways you can help organizations addressing this humanitarian crisis.
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Российская оппозиция: Беседа с Владимиром Кара-Мурзой
February 19th, 2022 | Season 4 | 34 mins 19 secs
current affairs, history, politics, russia
В этом выпуске Лера и Миша берут интервью у известного российского оппозиционного политика, историка, и публициста Владимира Кара-Мурзы. Они обсуждают перспективы российской оппозиции на ближайшие годы, состояние гражданского общества в России, положение оппозиционной прессы в России, преследование про-демократических активистов и постепенную, но плавную смену риторики президента Путина в отношении демократии и сменяемости власти в Российской Федерации. Мы искренне надеемся что вам понравится! Желаем приятного прослушивания!
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The Russian Opposition Today and the Legacy of Boris Nemtsov with Vladimir Kara-Murza
February 14th, 2022 | Season 4 | 36 mins 23 secs
anti-corruption, foreign policy, international relations, navalny, nemtsov, russia, russian opposition
On this special episode, we had the opportunity to speak with Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza during his visit to The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Kara-Murza provides insight into the Russian dissident movement today, perspective on Mr. Putin and US-Russian relations over the last two decades, and personal reflections on the life and legacy of Boris Nemtsov before and after his assassination on February 27, 2015. We hope you enjoy!
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"Čas proměn": Prague in a Time of Transformation with Mark Baker
February 3rd, 2022 | Season 4 | 43 mins 45 secs
eastern europe, journalism, prague, travel, writing
On this episode, Lera and our newest host Misha speak with travel writer and journalist Mark Baker based in Prague. They discuss how he went from writing for the likes of Bloomberg and working for Radio Free Europe to researching and creating travel books for Lonely Planet and others. Mark Baker expounds on his latest book, not a travel guide but a memoir, which covers his amazing stories and experiences in Prague in the decade following the Cold War. We hope you enjoy!
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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!
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North Macedonia and the Mired Quest for EU Accession
January 17th, 2022 | Season 4 | 29 mins 59 secs
bulgaria, eu, greece, history, north macedonia, politics
On this special episode, Dr. Mary Neuburger's graduate class presents their analysis of North Macedonia’s complicated quest for EU accession which has been ongoing for over 25 years. What's the hold up exactly and which EU members are keen on preventing European integration? Take a listen and find out!
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"Long Hair Goes a Long Way": Exploring the Soviet Hippie Movement with Juliane Fürst
December 23rd, 2021 | Season 4 | 58 mins 33 secs
counterculture, hippies, history, soviet culture, youth movements
Happy Holidays, y'all! On this episode, Lera gets to sit down and chat with Dr. Juliane Fürst who unpacks 10 years worth of research and personal explorations in the Soviet Hippie movement as published in her latest book from Oxford University Press. Her stories will thrill, so gather 'round and take a listen. We hope you enjoy!
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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!
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"From Odessa With Love" with Vladislav Davidzon
December 8th, 2021 | Season 4 | 39 mins 6 secs
america, belarus, china, current events, geopolitics, russia, ukraine
Lera and Zach talk with Atlantic Council fellow and prolific American journalist Vladislav Davidzon. Davidzon has extensively covered the Belarussian protests from within Minsk, Ukrainian political and cultural developments since 2014, and Russian elections and Navalny's impact on Moscow politics and policies. We hope you enjoy!
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Nord Stream 2 and You: More Than A European Problem
November 22nd, 2021 | Season 4 | 27 mins 27 secs
Mark Temnycky, a Ukrainiain-American journalist, breaks down the Nord Stream 2 issue, timeline, and its relation to the energy situation in Europe. He expounds on the Biden administration's reversal on its position concerning the pipeline, and explains the security concerns that a working Nord Stream 2 that bypasses Belarus and Ukraine creates for America, NATO, and Europe in general. Thanks for listening!
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Sports (History) Illustrated: Cold War Edition with Johanna Mellis
November 13th, 2021 | Season 4 | 53 mins 15 secs
eastern europe, history, hungary, olympics, sports
Dr. Johanna Mellis, a former D1 swimmer and current history professor at Ursinus College, joins Lera for a lively conversation on the history of sports in Hungary during the Cold War. They also touch on the Olympics (past and present), sport diplomacy, and the development of competitive sports on an international plane. We hope you enjoy!
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"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!