Ukraine - History in the Making
When I started the conversation series ”Ukraine - History in the Making” I could have never imagined where this journey would lead me. It all started in March 2023 after I got home from an exchange stay in Chile and felt, that I had to do more for Ukraine, than what I did on my social media accounts and on the streets in the spring and summer of 2022. I think most of us remember that initial period after Ruzzia’s the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Speaking from a European/Danish point of view it was a time of big fear, desperation and uncertainty, but also a time of high hopes, energy and big solidarity. In the very first conversation of the show with Veronika Netrebenko, she says the following about the feelings of Ukrainians during the Maidan Revolution: ”We understood we gotta fight for it, and it was something totally different, we felt different, we felt that we need to fight for it”. To a certain degree I believe you can say the same about what happened within the hearts and minds of Europeans after Ruzzia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We also felt different, and I also thinkt that we immediately understood that the time of ”peace” was over, but our problem is, that we still dont want to accept it. I realised when I got home from Chile before the spring of 2023, just how far we were from accepting the fact, that we have to stand up, both for Ukraine and for ourselves, much more than what we like to make ourselves believe we are doing and have done. The energy from 2022 was already gone the following year, solidarity declarations towards Ukraine went from many to few and the war became much less prevalent in news headlines. Because of this development concerning our collective sentiment towards Ukraine, I decided that the best way to help Ukraine would be to start a conversation series in which I spoke with Ukrainians, experts or politicians in English and Danish. I wanted Ukranians to have a platform from which they could tell their story, I wanted experts to come on and explain my listeners and I why Ukraine is existentially important. And I wanted politicians to come on, because they have the power to do things and the freedom to speak much more clearly about the subject than what many experts can do. All this took me on a journey I could have never imagined. I could highlight almost all conversations and experiences, but let me share two things: I’ll NEVER(!!!) forget the Ukrainians I spoke with, whose families had to stay in now temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine, where they are, in some cases subject to brutal oppression and torture, and I will also NEVER forget my own trip to Ukraine in February 2024, that came about after I spoke with Jens Alstrup, Chairman of the Danish Organisation, Freedom for Ukraine. The last thing I started with the podcast was a specific ”Ukraine History Series” within the broader show in which me and the team i gathered present the history of Ukraine over 10-15 episodes. We well get back to that as soon as I, the host Emil, have figured out my general professional situation after finishing my education in February 2025.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
On the 4th of July I spoke with Nataliia Zuieva, a language lover from Ukraine. She studies language, sometimes writes poetry and have a huge heart for Ukrainian culture. One of the main things she wanted to highlight was her thoughts about what is called The Executed Renaissance, which is something that Russia is trying to and have before comitted upon Ukraine. One last thing: the hashtags for Ukrainefluencing in your own right are Ukrainefluencing and Ukrainefluencer.
Listen along and get smarter. Slava Ukraini!
Link to more about The Executed Renaissance: https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-museum-director-who-stayed-behind-to-defend-ukrainian-literature
Link to article by Victoria Amelina (the writer of the poem from the episode): https://www.eurozine.com/cancel-culture-vs-execute-culture/
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
On the 20th of June, I spoke with Ekaterine Tsimakuridze who works in the Georgian public sector. We´ve wanted to post a conversation about Georgia for a long time, so I´m thrilled to do it finally. Especially in light of everything that is happening there right now with regard to the struggle between freedom and democracy on one side and suppression and autocracy on the other side.
We will do a part two to finish the conversation on the other side of June.
Listen along and get smarter.
Link to Kvaradonna clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBp8_4L3wqg&ab_channel=Aedits
Saturday Jun 17, 2023
Saturday Jun 17, 2023
¡Hola weones! 🇨🇱
Esta es una explicación sobre la guerra de Ucrania, en español 🤞
Lo hago porque sé que la guerra no recibe tanta atención en Latinoamérica y porque algunas de las personas que conocí, cuando estuve de intercambio el otoño pasado me lo han pedido. Espero que el español esté bien y que lo disfrutéis.
Escuche y sea más inteligente!
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Valgspecial med Furkan Kadir Yavuz II
Forud for det tyrkiske valg søndag den 28. maj udgav Furkan og jeg en "valgopakt". Det gav mening som en special-episode i samtaleserien, fordi den politiske udvikling i Tyrkiet også er yderst relevant for Tyrkiets nabolande i Østeruopa. Søndag den 11. juni mødtes vi så igen for at lave en opfølgning på valget, fordi det er sådan, at når man først har lavet en optakt til noget, så skal der også laves en nedtakt. Vi taler om, hvad perspektiverne er for Tyrkiet på den anden side af valget, hvad der skal til for at få en stærkere opposition til Erdogan og om, hvad valgresultatet kan få af indflydelse i regionerne omkring Tyrkiet.
Lyt med og bliv klogere! Link til klip i starten: https://www.cfr.org/event/turkey-after-elections
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tirsdag den 6. juni talte jeg med Julie Arnfred Bojesen, Direktør for det Ukrainsk-Danske Ungdomshus i Kyiv (Ukrainian-Danish Youth House in Kyiv). Vi taler om, hvad Julie og ungdomshuset laver, om hvorfor det civilsamfundsmæssige arbejde er vigtigt og om, hvorfor det i den umiddelbare eftertid efter Sovjetunionens fald var svært for Ukraine at opbygge et stærkt civilsamfund. Vi taler også om, hvorfor Ukraines historie adskiller sig meget for den, vi fx kender om Danmark. Samtidig blev det også den første samtale, hvor gæsten og jeg har nogle uenigheder.
Lyt med og bliv klogere!
*Vi taler undervejs om, hvor mange USSR-borgere der døde under 2. Verdenskrig. Her bliver tallet 12 millioner nævnt. Det rigtige tal er, i følge, Wikipedia 20-27 millioner, og ud fra hvad troværdige historikere på området siger, er tallet nok nærmere 27 millioner.
Links:
Link til det Ukrainsk-Danske Ungdomshus Instagramside: https://www.instagram.com/theudyh/?hl=da
Link til “tal” om 2. verdenskrig: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties#:~:text=Deaths%20directly%20caused%20by%20the,deaths%20totaled%2050%E2%80%9355%20million.
Link til klip med Johannes Langkilde: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dr.dk%2Fdrtv%2Fepisode%2Ftv-avisen_-spraengt-daemning-skaber-store-oversvoemmelser_390709%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR231FlUmMFan5RG35RPrIOt784pGHf3ONpM4d-5cIbBzUqYetgfOy8I3ug&h=AT3V3c5i6LZZniiz4nXLDlqC-5JN_Gfp4n5dp7VxdmGztjQLuqFHDiW2WVFu2LmudC6kV1f0ZVi6RlF5YGyRDoR65VA02HLas-gQb6nFJLHnlfEYOSYjsrzuKc25v5YSzsw
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Torsdag den 25. maj talte jeg med Christian Holst Vigilius, formand for Konservativ Ungdom og tidligere formand for Konservative Studerende. Vi taler om mange af de ting, der ligger rundt om det, som i sidste ende, også afgør vores forhold til Østeuropa. Hvad er forsvarspolitikkens placering i det overordnede politiske klima? Hvad er vores forhold til de værdier, Christian og jeg mener, samfund som Danmark først og fremmest udgøres af, nemlig frihed, demokrati og politisk deltagelse? Hvad betyder det for vores evne til at forsvare disse værdier på den internationale scene, når de dominerende akademiske og politisk aktivistiske miljøer i vores egne samfund dyrker selvhadet i en hidtil uset grad? Den slags spørgsmål og meget mere taler Christian og jeg om.
Lyt med og bliv klogere!
Link til klip med Christian i starten: https://www.facebook.com/christian.vigilius/posts/pfbid02qkVswQd1pVH24CgmSTg6po25JBu1mGTq44K1uTZo4YnpgvHeNVa1DxaqcDuHA7Wel
Friday May 26, 2023
Friday May 26, 2023
Valgspecial med Furkan Kadir Yavuz
Søndag den 28. maj afgørøes det, om Erdogan vinder endnu en præsidentperiode, eller om oppositionen formår at tage magten fra ham. Alt tyder på, at Erdogan vinder igen, men fordi Tyrkiet har så dybe politiske og historiske rødder til Østeuropa og fordi, jeg mødte Furkan, der gennem en længere årrække har beskæftiget sig med emnet, og gerne ville tale, så danner det grundlag for en yderst relevant "special"samtale i serien.
Lyt med og bliv klogere!
Thursday May 25, 2023
Thursday May 25, 2023
Onsdag den 24. maj talte jeg Michael Aastrup Jensen, folketingsmedlem for Venstre siden 2005 og formand for Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn. Michael har tidligere været næstformand for nævnet, og fortæller i samtalen, at det der drev ham ind i politik, og hele tiden har drevet ham, er hans ønske om at gøre en forskel ude i verden. Der er altså ingen tvivl om, at vi den her gang har talt med en herre, hvis viden om dansk udenrigspolitik og forståelse for det geopolitiske klima er uden sidestykke i dansk politik.
Lyt med og bliv klogere!
Link til klip med Micheal i introen: https://www.facebook.com/michaelaastrup/videos/573682354136930
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
On the 1st of May I spoke with Yevheniia Fedotova, who is the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine. We speak about Ukraine, Russia, EU, the West and global politics. The conversation is not that structured and very long, but we both know a lot and have many things to say. The overarching theme is that of Western inactivism and global informational warfare and how these two things in combination works in favor of Russia as of 2023.
Listen along and get smarter.
Links:
Slava Ukraini clip: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-protest-kiev-eu/25193530.html