94. The Bloody History of Russia & Ukraine

This episode explores the history of Ukraine, focusing on the complex relationship between Ukrainian nationalism and Russian imperialism from the early 20th century to the Stalin era. Against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent civil war, the episode examines the formation of Ukrainian national identity and its suppression by both Tsarist and Bolshevik regimes. More significantly, the discussion delves into the Holodomor, the devastating famine of 1932-1934, analyzing its causes, consequences, and the deliberate actions of the Soviet government to repress Ukrainian nationalism. For instance, the episode highlights the role of Stalin's collectivization policies and the suppression of information about the famine's scale. The interviewee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author specializing in Russian and Soviet history, provides crucial insights into the famine's nature as a genocide, emphasizing the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian national identity and the lasting impact on the Ukrainian people. The episode concludes by contrasting the historical context of the Holodomor with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, drawing parallels between past and present actions of Russian imperialism.