Ukrainian Spaces

S4E0 What made four total strangers connect in those first few paralysing months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine?  This season, Ukrainian Spaces embarks on a personal odyssey through defining moments in Ukrainian history with Val, Maksym, Stas and Marichka. From the haunting aftermath of Chernobyl to the spirit of resistance ignited by the Maidan Revolution, we explore how the past shapes the present and what unites us as Ukrainians in the face of unimaginable challenges. DISCLAIMER: This is a public release. Our Patreon family gets newest episodes several weeks ahead of the rest. Sign up and listen as the season's story unfolds. Ukrainian Spaces is more than a podcast; it's a movement. It's about reclaiming the narrative, breaking free from outdated stereotypes, and understanding the complex roots of Ukraine's present and future. Together, we can unravel the threads of Ukrainian history and witness the unwavering spirit of a nation fighting for its future. Follow Ukrainian Spaces on social media for updates and exclusive content. SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠_

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our Patreon family⁠⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e9 (season finale): The triumph of colonialism is not just about the size of the conquered lands or looted wealth. It is about the success of identity confusion among the colonized people. People who do not know who they are, do not speak their own language, who look down on their own culture and feel embarrassed about their own roots. Ukrainians are not the only nation that can tell you a lot about the violence of Russian colonial assimilation. But the daily sacrifices of Ukrainians fighting off the empire inspire other survivor nations to speak up. For a very special and moving season three finale, we bring Qazaq democracy activist Yevgeniya Plakhina and Qazaq thinker Azamat Junisbai for an episode where we celebrate Qazaq culture, history and Ukrainian-Qazaq solidarity in a defiance to Russia that tried but failed to erase us. The tracklist for this episode includes: Vesna by DakhaBrakha Щастя by Марія Квітка Кохала by Марія Квітка Qaishy (feat. Krechet) by dudeontheguitar Отбасы by G.H.A.D. Bari Biled by Ninety One Közimdi Aşam (feat. Steppe Sons) by jeltoksan. Байқа by Қайрат Нұртас Check out our Patreon for the multimedia lists to decolonize your knowledge about Qazaq culture, history and identity, curated by Yevgeniya Plakhina and Azamat Junisbai for the #UkrainianSpaces family. Also: SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠_. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our Patreon family⁠⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e8: Whenever you are in a museum and see an artist being credited as Russian or mentioned as being born in Russia — there is a massive chance that they are not. Malevych, Repin, Ekster. Many Ukrainian artists are still mislabeled as 'Russian' in most foreign museums, galleries, and art spaces. That is thanks to centuries of Russian colonial imperialism stealing and appropriating indigenous artists. The entire concept of 'Great Russian culture' is a big colonial lie. For this one, we feature Ukrainian art historian and journalist Oksana Semenik, who survived the genocide in Bucha by pure luck. But the Russian empire messed with the wrong Ukrainian — after escaping mass slaughter, Semenik launched a global crusade to decolonize mislabelled Ukrainian art in museums worldwide and reclaim the artists stolen by Russia. Check out our Patreon page for the reading list to decolonize your knowledge about Ukrainian art, curated by Oksana Semenik for the #UkrainianSpaces family. Also: SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠_. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our ⁠⁠Patreon family⁠⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e7: The Crimea region in southern Ukraine (or Qirim, as local indigenous people call it) has been a centerpiece for russian imperial propaganda for centuries. You steal a land, cleanse it from the entire indigenous population, replace locals with settler colonists, rename every settlement, every street, river, and mountain — and soon the entire world is sure that Crimea is somehow 'always been russian.' After Crimea, russians deployed the same occupation formula in countless other lands. They keep using it in modern-day Ukraine, too. To decolonize the Qirim myth and explain why Ukraine won't be free until Qirim is free, we asked the help of Alim Aliev, one of the most prominent Ukrainian Qirimli, deputy director of the Ukrainian Institute, a journalist and human rights advocate.  Please, also help Ukrainians to survive the consequences of russia-made flood in southern Ukraine. Check the list of trusted fundraisers the Ukrainian Spaces family members put together. SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. We exist thanks to donations: please ⁠⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices.⁠⁠⁠ GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠⁠ _⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠_. Val’s ⁠⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠⁠. Maksym’s ⁠⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠insta⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our ⁠Patreon family⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e6: Celebrated by some but used by others as an excuse to deny Ukrainians solidarity or even justify their mass murder. The topic of Ukrainian nationalism is divisive but, above all — profoundly confusing and unclear. That's why we called for help from the person who made an internationally-celebrated career on being an expert on Ukrainian identity without allowing her own biases to affect the research. Our featured Ukrainian is a scholar and author of 'The Zelensky Effect' Dr. Olga Onuch.  SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. We exist thanks to donations: please ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices.⁠⁠ GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠insta⁠⁠_. Val’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠. Maksym’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our ⁠Patreon family⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e5: 'My mother tongue tastes like ashes. Things scorched by enemy fire, then soaked with rain, touched with rot, smelling of death. I felt the taste of my mother tongue most acutely while driving through Borodianka, Bucha, and Irpin two months after these Ukrainian towns in the Kyiv region were liberated by the Ukrainian army from the Russians’ “brotherly” embrace. Russian is my mother tongue, and liberation means ripping it out of my throat.' There's so much talk about russian-speaking Ukrainians abroad. But how often have you heard actual russian-speaking Ukrainians being part of those conversations? It is rhetorical. The language issue is at the epicenter of understanding the Ukrainian decolonization journey. And Ukrainians who are or used to speak Russian as their first language are the most critical voices to explain it. We invite back Ukrainian scholar Sasha Dovzhyk to discuss her sensational essay 'Mother Tongue: The Story of a Ukrainian Language Convert' and share truths about russian-speaking Ukrainians with the rest of the world. SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. If you like us, please ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices.⁠⁠ GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠insta⁠⁠_. Val’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠. Maksym’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our ⁠Patreon family⁠ gets the episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e4: During the latest mass pro-democracy protests in Sakartvelo-Georgia, you could see Ukrainian flags and hear 'Slava Ukraïni' everywhere. Why does Ukraine mean so much for Kartvelians-Georgians? This small Eastern European nation doesn't capture as many global headlines as Ukraine. But tightly bonded with Ukraine through centuries of shared history and by a shared colonial abuser, learning about Sakartvelo is crucial for your understanding of why Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine and why the empire will inevitably fall. For another bridge episode, we invited Nodar Rukhadze, a Georgian civil rights activist, journalist, and the founder of the Shame Movement, to educate us about his personal and Sakartvelo's decolonization struggle. SUPPORT: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. If you like us, please ⁠become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices.⁠ GET FEATURED: ⁠send us a voicemail⁠ GET CONNECTED:  ⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠ _ ⁠twitter⁠ _⁠insta⁠_. Val’s ⁠twitter⁠ and ⁠Insta⁠ and ⁠tiktoks⁠. Maksym’s ⁠twitter⁠ and ⁠insta⁠ and ⁠tiktoks⁠

DISCLAIMER. This is a public version of the podcast. Our ⁠Patreon family⁠ gets these episodes much earlier, packaged with lots of bonus and backstage content.  s3e3: 'There is no future for Ukrainian Jews if they want to go together with the Russian culture,' a Ukrainian Jewish activist ⁠Maria Gershova⁠ tells us. There's a massive identity evolution that most Ukrainians are going through amid this genocide. But also affects all other overlapping identities that we have. We meet Maria at a crucial period in her life - when she is decolonizing and figuring out what being Ukrainian means when you are also Jewish. Do both clash or contradict each other, considering the complicated and tragic history of the Jewish people in Ukraine? Maria has much to share with the rest of the world and fellow Jewish people globally.  SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. If you like us, please ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices.⁠⁠ GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠you can also send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED:  find #UkrainianSpaces on ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠ _ ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ _⁠⁠insta⁠⁠_ Val’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠ Maksym’s ⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠tiktoks⁠⁠

s3e2: thanks to our generous Patreon family, #UkrainianSpaces is back for season three. We felt big decolonization energy and tried something completely new - a live-audience show. This is part two of our podcast episode recorded in late February in Warsaw during our sold-out event featuring brilliant Ukrainians like: Mariam Naiem, a prominent Ukrainian artist and researcher working on mainstreaming global understanding of the colonial and racial aspects of Russian culture concerning Ukraine and other peoples colonized by Russia. Alice Zhuravel, a Ukrainian artist and the founder of the Tozhsamist storytelling initiative. Yulia Krivich, a Ukrainian artist behind SDK "Słonecznik", a Ukrainian Solidary Community Center in Warsaw Marichka Buchelnikova and Stas Olenchenko of the Ukraine Explainers storytelling initiative, a leading outlet for educating foreigners about Ukraine in social-media-friendly formats. Julia Tymoshenko, a leading Ukrainian storyteller, and social media influencer educating the world about the Russian invasion of Ukraine Our Patreon family has exclusive access to the Q&A session recorded as a bonus podcast episode during this show - available through our Patreon page. Слава Україні! SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s3e1: Thanks to our generous Patreon family, #UkrainianSpaces is back for season three. For this one, we feel big decolonization energy and tried something completely new - a live-audience show. Recorded in late February in Warsaw, a sold-out event featured brilliant Ukrainians like: Mariam Naiem, a prominent Ukrainian artist and researcher working on mainstreaming global understanding of the colonial and racial aspects of Russian culture concerning Ukraine and other peoples colonized by Russia. Alice Zhuravel, a Ukrainian artist and the founder of the Tozhsamist storytelling initiative. Yulia Krivich, a Ukrainian artist behind SDK "Słonecznik", a Ukrainian Solidary Community Center in Warsaw Marichka Buchelnikova and Stas Olenchenko of the Ukraine Explainers storytelling initiative, a leading outlet for educating foreigners about Ukraine in social-media-friendly formats. Julia Tymoshenko, a leading Ukrainian storyteller, and social media influencer educating the world about the Russian invasion of Ukraine Enjoy part one. This show reminds the world that: Ukraine will win Ukraine will rebuild Russian colonialism will end Any forms of colonialism and imperialism will fall Ukraine will stand diverse, and free. Слава Україні! SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s2e23: It has been the worst year for every Ukrainian. In a way, it also has been the best one. Those Ukrainians who survived it are transformed forever. Despite the trauma, pain, and heartbreak, they keep dreaming, creating, and daring. Millions of Ukrainian stories can inspire anyone to live in a better world and to be a better person. But for the season two finale, we decided to keep it within the close family, featuring 9 Ukrainians and how they withstood the darkest, coldest winter of our lives. The episode features (in the order of appearance): Solomiya Petlyak, Mariam Naiem, Stas Olenchenko, Maria Buchelnikova, Romeo Kokriatski, Tetyana Denford (Bisyk), and Alice Zhuravel.  SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s2e22: Russian-backed conspiracies about Ukraine and Ukrainians might appear bizarre, entertaining, or even funny. But every piece of anti-Ukrainian propaganda shared abroad, even accidentally or as a hate share, has a specific price in Ukrainian lives. That's why Ukrainians take fact-checking so seriously, and it is universally regarded as important as defending our freedom with actual weapons in the trenches. Mark Kaplan, our featured Ukrainian for this episode, might have a reputation as a funny journalist ridiculing Russian propaganda for a late-night show on Telebachennya Toronto. But he also developed one of the brightest and smartest understandings of how anti-Ukrainian disinformation gets picked up in the West and why it happens.  SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s2e21: This is not Russia's first attempt to eradicate Ukrainians. This is not the first time fascism is trying to wipe an entire nation from the face of the Earth, either. Nevertheless, there has never been so much global unity when it comes to helping Ukrainians as today. But does it mean we are finally learning our 'never again' lessons? Let's do a quick rundown of things foreigners historically always get wrong about Ukraine and whether they are still mainstream. Our featured Ukrainian is Andrea Chalupa, a prominent Ukrainian-American journalist, author, and the person behind an absolute must-see Holodomor movie Mr. Jones.  SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s2e20: When Ukrainians express discomfort by being pushed into a space with a Russian person without consent, some foreigners label it 'hatred' or 'russophobia.' When Ukrainians talk about Russian society's centuries-old patterns of serial abusive behavior towards their neighbors, we are dismissed as 'emotional' and 'hysterical.' Could it be just a lack of empathy or education? Lia Dostlieva, a Ukrainian artist, anthropologist, and our featured Ukrainian for this episode, wants you all to recognize in this attitude the old Western colonial tradition of marginalizing 'uncomfortable' voices. Together we decided to do a small workshop on talking and listening to Ukrainians without falling into colonial tropes. SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠

s2e19: Through centuries of colonial oppression, music remained a secret superpower for Ukrainians to keep their resistance up. The ongoing genocide is no different. Ukrainian music artists have been creating breathtaking art that keeps our spirits up and inspires us not to give up. For this one, we feature Zbaraski, one of our favorite Ukrainian musicians, to explain the deep anti-colonial roots of Ukrainian music and where Ukrainian artists find the inspiration and energy to keep creating the ultimate act of resistance.  Music featured: Zbaraski - Всі навколо метушаться Аква Віта - Я жду Zbaraski - Bo ty Zbaraski - Dyvni Dyva Zbaraski - U horakh Jamala - Сину Назарій Яремчук - Посміхнулась ти Zbaraski - Cofein Zbaraski - Bo Togo SUPPORT US: #UkrainianSpaces is a 100% independent, volunteer, and listener-supported initiative. Please, ensure we can amplify more Ukrainian voices and decolonize more Ukraine conversations — ⁠⁠become our Patreon sponsor or bring a friend if you already are (a free trial is available.)  GET FEATURED: ⁠⁠send us a voicemail⁠⁠ GET CONNECTED: ⁠⁠ukrainianspaces.com⁠⁠. Val’s ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠. Maksym’s Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠