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What role does religion play in Ukraine? How pluralistic is the country’s religious landscape? Which Christian denominations are the most influential, and how does Christianity coexist with Islam and Judaism? Why is Ukrainian Orthodoxy divided, and what is the story behind the emergence of an autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine? And how does Russia use its branch of Orthodoxy in Ukraine as an instrument of political influence and propaganda? ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.Guest: Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, a prominent Ukrainian theologian. ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine.We thank the Ukrainian History Global Initiative for helping us to organize this conversation. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/thinkingggUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. ***CONTENTS:00:04 Introduction. Support UkraineWorld: www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg01:57 What are the fundamental characteristics of religion in Ukraine today?04:12 How does Ukraine challenge the simplified view of Eastern Orthodoxy being aligned with Moscow?07:44 Beyond Orthodoxy, how diverse is Ukraine's religious landscape, and what makes its interfaith relations unique?09:29 How did Ukrainian Orthodoxy, originally tied to Constantinople, become dominated by the Russian Church, and what has been the recent movement for autocephaly?15:08 What is the fundamental difference in church-state relations between Western Christianity and Russian Orthodoxy, and how did the Orthodox "symphony" play out in Russia?19:04 How does Ukrainian Orthodoxy's emphasis on "synodality" (conciliarity) offer a unique and horizontal model compared to the centralized Russian model?24:27 Why does Ukrainian Orthodoxy remain tragically divided into two main parts despite the establishment of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine?27:38 What specific reasons prevent many members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate-aligned) from transitioning to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine?29:15 What are the ideal and realistic future scenarios for unity within Ukrainian Orthodoxy?31:59 How does Russian propaganda weaponize the presence of the Greek Catholic Church, and what is the ironic outcome of Russia's "protection" of Orthodoxy in Ukraine?35:52 How should misleading claims of “religious persecution” in Ukraine, particularly regarding the Russian Church, be understood in the context of propaganda and national security?

Why does Taras Shevchenko remain the central figure of Ukrainian culture? Why is a poet who lived in the 19th century still perceived in Ukraine almost as a contemporary? How does Shevchenko’s understanding of time and history differ from our present-day perspective, so focused on the immediate moment and often lacking the depth of historical memory? And how did he articulate powerful anticolonial ideas as early as the 19th century — particularly through his empathy and solidarity with other oppressed peoples? This is the Thinking in Dark Times podcast. ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Rory Finnin, the Notre Dame Collegiate Mission Chair in Ukrainian Studies and Global Affairs and director of the Ukrainian Studies Hub at the University of Notre Dame. He is a scholar of Ukrainian culture, literature, and identity, and the author of the award-winning book Blood of Others: Stalin’s Crimean Atrocity and the Poetics of Solidarity. ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine brought to you by Internews Ukraine.We thank the Ukrainian History Global Initiative for helping us to organize this conversation. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/thinkingggUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected]. ***CONTENTS: 00:00 Why does Taras Shevchenko remain a central and contemporary figure in Ukrainian culture, articulating anti-colonial ideas from the 19th century?01:55 Why is Shevchenko a contemporary figure, rather than just a historical classic?03:02 How does the West's tendency to mirror Russia psychologically, but not rhetorically, hinder its understanding of the war?06:15 How does Shevchenko's understanding of "imperialist time" contrast with the West's short-term perspective, as seen in Russia's 19th-century conquest of Circassia?09:49 How does Shevchenko's empathy for oppressed peoples like the Circassians differ from the imperialist narratives found in Russian literature?12:40 What makes Shevchenko's poetry so contemporary, and how does his use of "anti-repoussoir" allow readers to connect personally with the struggles of conquered peoples, even his own friend who died fighting them?17:57 How does Shevchenko's view of history as an "eternal return" and a series of constant tests, like those faced by early Christians or Jan Hus, make his work timeless?20:25 How is Shevchenko's biblical worldview centered on profound empathy for the vulnerable, even applying this lens to Christ himself?22:42 What tragic event in 1978, involving Oleksa Hirnyk's self-immolation on Shevchenko's grave, underscores the poet's enduring anti-colonial message?25:40 Why does the West continue to misunderstand Russia, despite ample historical literature, by focusing on a "soothing" alternative rather than its vast, multi-ethnic, and often oppressive reality?30:12 How does Shevchenko's poem "Haydamaky" navigate the complex issue of violence, seemingly romanticizing it while simultaneously depicting its descent into madness?31:19 Does "Haydamaky" romanticize violence, or does Shevchenko's original perspective condemn the internal infection of violence within Ukrainian society?37:31 What is Shevchenko's dual legacy of creating a national myth while also offering a critical perspective on Ukrainian history and the importance of family bonds?38:41 Closing remarks and support information for the "Explaining Ukraine" podcast.

Studying Ukrainian history can be far more fascinating than you might think. It can reveal deeper layers of our past than we ever imagined and help us better understand the history of humanity as a whole. It can help us grasp why the interaction between settled and nomadic cultures has been so important throughout human history. Why some of the world's earliest proto-cities emerged in what is now central Ukraine. Why the origins of the Indo-European languages might lie here, too. And why Ukraine, situated between the vast forests and the vast steppe, on the shores of the Black Sea, has been a crossroads through which so many peoples have passed, shaping both our past and our present. This is the Explaining Ukraine podcast. ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Timothy Snyder, the renowned American historian and thinker, the author of “Bloodlands”, “On Freedom”, “Black Earth” and many other books. We recorded this conversation in Kyiv, on the sidelines of the Yalta European Strategy forum and ahead of the annual conference of the Ukrainian History Global Initiative. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraineUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworldYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected]. ***CONTENTS:00:05 - Introduction: What makes Ukrainian history so uniquely fascinating and revealing about humanity's past?02:54 - Beyond Modern Anxiety: How does a deep historical perspective alleviate present-day anxieties about Ukraine's identity?05:03 - Starting Points: Where should one truly begin to tell the extensive narrative of Ukrainian history?06:12 - The Right to Exist: Does Ukraine's right to exist depend on proving its historical longevity?09:51 - Ancient Echoes: How do ancient figures like Achilles and Amazons connect to modern Ukrainian identity and military units?12:23 - Geography's Enduring Influence: How has Ukraine's unique geography shaped the historical tension between settled and nomadic cultures?13:36 - Early Civilizations: What were the origins and significance of Ukraine's first proto-cities after the Ice Age?15:24 - Clash and Creation: How did the encounter between Cucuteni-Trypillia culture and Yamna culture contribute to linguistic revolutions like the emergence of the Proto-Indo-European languages?17:20 - Goddesses and Old Europe: What do ancient Ukrainian mother goddess cults reveal about "Old Europe" and its feminine spiritual traditions?22:06 - Gender and Mergers: Was the interaction between ancient cultures more of a creative merger than a simple patriarchal conquest?24:45 - Concepts of Time: How did Trypillia's circular understanding of time differ from Yamna's linear marking of time through kurgans?29:40 - The Puzzle of Continuity: How can we write a coherent history for Ukraine despite apparent gaps and discontinuities in its cultural and linguistic past?32:31 - A Cradle of Languages: Why Ukraine can be seen as a cradle of languages that repeatedly saw returns of Indo-European cultures38:06 - Borderland or Center?: Can Ukraine be re-envisioned not merely as a borderland, but as a central "attraction zone" for diverse cultures and ideas?

What if our fundamental understanding of power is flawed? Is violence truly its ultimate expression, or rather a sign of its absence? How can societies navigate the extremes of seeing power as inherently good or bad, and instead cultivate a nuanced perspective on what constitutes "enough" authority? These crucial questions, alongside the challenge of balancing individual rights with collective obligations and understanding how legitimate power truly emerges from trust and respect, are explored in this new episode of "Thinking in Dark Times" by Ukrainian philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko, recorded from Kyiv. Support my my work: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg

I read this book with absolute passion. While it is a novel, it is truly an epic—the story of a family told through the greatest upheavals and disasters of the 20th century. Although it is set in Greece, we Ukrainians can deeply relate to this story: a narrative where global events shape your life far more than your own plans. It is a novel about national conflicts and population displacements, fascism and communism, World War II, violence from all sides. It explores the trap of "revolutionary struggle," the dilemmas of duty versus life, and self-sacrifice versus human happiness. The novel is called "Niki", and it was written by Christos Chomenidis, a prominent Greek writer. I was glad to meet him in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where he traveled at the invitation of the Greek embassy and his Ukrainian publisher. We sat down at PEN Ukraine and spoke about Europe, the past, the future, freedom, war, and peace. This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast series by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine. ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Christos Chomenidis, a prominent, award-winning Greek writer. He has traveled to Ukraine despite the relentless Russian missile and drone strikes that regularly target the Ukrainian cities. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/thinkingggUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on  https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected]. ***CONTENTS: 0:03 Intro2:04 What brought prominent Greek writer Christos Chomenidis to Kyiv despite the ongoing war?3:05 How does Chomenidis’ novel "Niki" weave together individual human stories with the challenging 20th-century history of Greece?4:12 How does the experience of communism differ between Greece and Ukraine, and what forms did it take in each country?5:56 How does the novel portray the act of destroying one's own house as a sacrifice to communist forces, and how is this understood today?7:31 How does the novel explore the tension between duty to a greater cause and the pursuit of individual desires and happiness?11:12 What main similarities does the author find between the Greek and Ukrainian peoples?12:44 How did Chomenidis experience the fear of air raids in Kyiv, and what does it reveal about Ukrainian resilience?15:28 Why was the Soviet Union, and even Stalin, romanticized in some Greek left-wing circles, and how does Chomenidis explain this perspective now?17:41 How does modern Russian propaganda operate in Greece, and why do some Greek parties support Russia based on "zoopolitics"?23:17 Do societies with a recent memory of authoritarianism have a stronger capacity or intuition to fight for freedom?35:12 Why is democracy likened to a "baby"? What is freedom a "muscle" that requires constant, everyday struggle and care?38:28 What gives Christos Chomenidis hope for the future amidst challenging times?

In this podcast episode, I explore how wartime technologies can impact peaceful life, drawing parallels from historical conflicts.  Author: Volodymyr Yermalenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor in chief of UkraineWorld, president of PEN Ukraine Support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinggg I use the example of the Rhodes piano, which originated from technologies developed during World War II, to illustrate how tragedy can spur innovation. I also discuss how World War I and II accelerated developments in radio, television, medicine, automobiles, and aviation, which later transformed civilian life. Computer technology is also highlighted as a byproduct of WWII. I also analyze the current Russo-Ukrainian war, emphasizing the significant role of drone technology. I also note how drones are changing warfare and making previously safe areas vulnerable. I analyze how these technologies, including advanced robotics, AI-equipped drones, and satellite technology, could shape post-war society, potentially leading to advancements like drone-based delivery services and autonomous vehicles.  The episode concludes by stressing that while war is a tragedy, it is also a powerful driver of technological advancement that will inevitably influence future peaceful lives.

Since Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, Russia has drastically escalated its missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities. In January 2026, launches exceeded 6,000—a sharp increase from approximately 2,000 in January 2025. The use of guided aerial bombs (KABs) also reached a record high of almost 6,000 per month. With the Trump administration significantly cutting military aid to Kyiv, Ukraine now finds itself in an increasingly vulnerable position. What are the underlying causes of this policy shift, and what does it reveal about Trump’s vision for global order and human rights? ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet covering Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko—Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Christopher Atwood, an American human rights and communications expert and Head of Ukraїner International—the international branch of the popular Ukrainian media platform, Ukraїner. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraineUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected]. ***CONTENTS:00:00 Intro06:00 Why is it important to be in Ukraine?10:08 Analysis of the US political shift: Biden VS Trump13:58 Trump and violence15:00 "Empathy Recession": How cruelty has become a cultural zeitgeist21:10 The role of the media establishment27:11 Trump`s perspectives on Ukraine: Is he a mediator or closer to Putin’s vision?30:43 The threat to Europe35:27 Trump’s economics40:01 Public vs. Political support: Why most Americans still favor Ukraine44:04 Building a coalition of the willing

What can the deep past of Ukrainian lands reveal about the global story of humanity? Six thousand years ago, "mega-sites" flourished in what is now central Ukraine—but can these be considered the world’s first cities? How were they organized without central authorities, and how do they challenge everything we thought we knew about early social life? ***This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: David Wengrow, a renowned British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London. He is the co-author, alongside David Graeber, of the international bestseller "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity". ***Thinking in Dark Times is produced by UkraineWorld and brought to you by Internews Ukraine. It is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO. ***SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected]. ***CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro. What can the deep past of Ukraine reveal about the global story of humanity?00:14 - Were the world’s first cities actually built in what is now Ukraine?02:51 - Why does the Ukrainian soil play a key role in rethinking the origins of cities and states?03:55 - Why are standard narratives of human history fundamentally wrong?09:15 - What were the Cucuteni-Trypillia megasites?17:23 - Why does the existence of egalitarian cities overturn political history itself?20:35 - What does a circular city say about how people imagined the world?21:27 - How did thousands of people govern themselves without rulers?26:36 - Did democracy exist thousands of years before ancient Greece?28:29 - Were Hobbes and Rousseau both wrong about human nature?42:29 - Is Ukrainian history shaped by a tension between freedom and vulnerability?47:22 - What do burning rituals reveal about cyclical views of life and nature?50:51 - Why does Ukraine’s past matter for the future of humanity?

Ukraine has its own tradition of geopolitical thinking — a tradition that reaches deep into the past and continues to shape the country’s strategic imagination today. What are its key traits? Why was it developed more by writers than by statesmen? And how does it relate to Ukraine’s current reflection on its identity? ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/thinkinggg UkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat and thinker, deputy foreign minister in 2014, and currently director of the Kyiv Security Forum. ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

She is not only a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is not only one of the most visible human-rights defenders in Europe in recent decades. She is not only a tireless activist with profound empathy for others. She is also a thinker — someone who reflects deeply on the moral foundations of freedom and dignity.  Our guest today is Oleksandra Matviychuk, a prominent Ukrainian human-rights defender and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. In this episode, we discuss the moral ideas that hold Ukrainian society together. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine  UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en  *** SUPPORT:  You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk: On Freedom, Dignity, and War 02:24 "Not Nobel Peace Prize changed my life - the large-scale war has changed my life"  08:32 Torture, rape, enforced disappearances, filtration camps — the reality of Russian occupation 11:55 Why are Ukrainians not "ideal victims"? 15:57 The horror of Russian captivity: Ihor Kozlovskyi`s experience 19:44 Why is freedom existential for Ukrainians? 24:16 Ukrainian strength lies in the people's belief that their efforts matter 31:38 Over 170,000 registered Russian war crimes in Ukraine 32:18 Why is justice important now, not after the end of the war? 35:41 Why is the Russian war against Ukraine genocidal? 43:50 What gives Oleksandra Matviichuk hope today? *** The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

Ukraine is not a burden for Europe — it’s a chance for Europe. Today, European security is unthinkable without Ukraine. Ukraine has the strongest army in Europe, a dynamic defense industry, and citizens with vast military experience. The real question is: to what extent does Europe itself understand the threat posed by the new authoritarianisms? And to what extent does it realise that helping Ukraine is, in fact, a matter of its own survival? ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, a prominent Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute.Frontier Institute: frontier.pro-mova.com/en ***Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/thinkinggg ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on  https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at:  [email protected]. ***CONTENTS:00:00 Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute.02:04 Has the dynamic shifted, making Ukraine a supplier of security to Europe rather than just a recipient?07:49 Is the acute 'need' driven by war a stronger motivator for entrepreneurship and creativity than peacetime opportunity?10:25 Why is the historical understanding of the Russian threat still proving ambivalent in some Central and Southern European countries?15:01 Should the European Union transform into a geopolitical union by adding a military security component to its integration?22:36 Is the Ukrainian governance model inherently more resilient because of civil society?27:59 Why is Europe failing to find the necessary political will to take decisive action on Russian assets, sanctions, and information warfare?30:31 Is the perception of Ukraine as a 'burden' outdated?35:03 What about NATO?43:48 What long-term economic and demographic impacts will follow if the current threat isn't addressed?

In September 2025, in Kyiv, a prominent American historian Timothy Snyder received the Vasyl Stus Prize — a Ukrainian award honoring the name of Vasyl Stus, one of Ukraine’s greatest poets and dissidents of the 20th century, killed by the Soviet regime in 1985. Founded in 1989 by Yevhen Sverstiuk, another prominent Ukrainian dissident, the prize is now awarded by PEN Ukraine, the publishing house Dukh i Litera, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School. Before the award ceremony, we held a public conversation with Snyder on the good and bad ways of thinking about history. Since interpretations of history often lie at the heart of both the good and the evil that people do, this question remains vitally important. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Thinking in Dark Times seeks to find the light through — and despite — today’s darkness.  *** UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine Listen to our podcasts: Explaining Ukraine: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Thinking in Dark Times: https://li.sten.to/thinkinggg *** Special thanks to the Ukrainian History Global Initiative, PEN Ukraine, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School for helping organize this event. This episode was made possible with the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** You can also listen to several other conversations with Timothy Snyder from previous years: On freedom: Timothy Snyder in Kyiv https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-344 Timothy Snyder in Kharkiv: A conversation about freedom https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-340 Freedom as a value and a task https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-258 Ukraine, the war, and the plurality of values https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-144  *** SUPPORT:  You can support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work.  You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, [email protected]  *** CONTENTS: 00:00:00 Timothy Snyder, world-renowned historian 00:03:04 What are the good and bad ways to use history to understand who we are? 00:08:53 How does a 'single line' view of the past, like Putin's or Trump's, take away our freedom? 00:25:18 Why recognizing the 'difference' of people in the past is a liberating act for us in the present? 00:49:55 Is the world truly living in a 'post-history' era where conflict and tragedy are safely in the past? 00:56:22 Does seeing a pattern in history mean the war is repeating, or is it a moment of new responsibility? 01:03:35 Was the US response in March 2022 a failure because American leaders were stuck in 'memory' instead of 'history'? 01:13:52 How does the power of data-driven tools force us to be careful about the human questions we ask? 01:24:21 Was the printing press as disruptive to society as social media is today?

SUPPORT this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  *** Are all empires equally bad? If some were better than others, what criteria can we use to make such judgments? Why must we study networks, not only hierarchies, to understand our past, present, and future? What happens to societies in times of catastrophe, and who has the best chances of survival? And finally — why is Ukraine so important for the world today? *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Niall Ferguson — a renowned British-American historian and author of numerous books, including “Empire”, “The Square and the Tower”, “The War of the World”, “Doom”, and others. Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. We had this conversation during the Yalta European Strategy Forum in Kyiv in September 2025. *** Thinking in Dark Times is a podcast of reflection from Ukraine. We try to see the light through — and despite — the current darkness.  This episode was made possible thanks to the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** SUPPORT: You can support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work.  *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro: Niall Ferguson, a renowned British American historian and author of numerous books. 01:58 - Why does historian Niall Ferguson keep coming back to Kyiv, and what value does he find here? 04:06 - Does the war in Ukraine truly hold a global meaning? 10:01 - Was the British Empire good or bad for the world? 12:17 - What's the difference between a 'liberal' empire and an 'illiberal' one? 19:30 - Does the European Union find a balance between the Empire and the Nation-State? 26:59 - Can Ukraine become an 'antifragile' state? 28:48 - Is being threatened by a 'big bad neighbor' the key to becoming an innovative society? 31:07 - How did the last decade of Russian aggression ultimately lead to the birth of the Ukrainian nation?

SUPPORT this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  *** Nationalism, for many people, is a bad word. They associate it with xenophobia, a sense of superiority, and exclusion. Many believe that nationalism inevitably leads to fascism or Nazism. In this episode, I want to challenge these views. Yes, nationalism can lead to dangerous practices, but it can also be something very different — because its roots are different. It grew out of the 19th-century discourse of democracy and republics, in opposition to tyranny and despotism. In this sense, nationalism has been much closer to liberalism and socialism than many people think. Like them, it can be moderate or radical. *** This is a podcast “Thinking in Dark Times”. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I am a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine, and chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine.  I am staying in Ukraine with my family during the war, continuing to teach at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and doing volunteer work to support Ukrainian resistance.  The goal of this podcast is to see the light through and despite the current darkness.  This podcast is not about Ukraine, but it is thinking from Ukraine and shaped by the Ukrainian experience.  *** You can support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  Please also check out our website, UkraineWorld.org, and our other podcast, Explaining Ukraine. This episode is produced in partnership with Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers.

Yaroslav Hrytsak is one of Ukraine’s leading historians and public intellectuals. His recent book in Ukrainian, "Overcoming the Past: A Global History of Ukraine", became a bestseller. His English-language book, "Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation", is now a key reference work on Ukrainian history. We met in Lviv to discuss the global dimension of Ukrainian history, and the features of Ukraine’s political culture that explain why the country has so often fought against tyranny. *** "Thinking in Dark Times" is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine. We try to see the light through and despite today's darkness. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the project Heritage Ukraine, supported by the European Union’s Erasmus programme. *** SUPPORT our work: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Support our volunteer trips to the frontline areas of Ukraine: PayPal: [email protected] *** CONTENTS: 00:00 — The untold global story of Ukraine01:33 — Why the world can’t ignore Ukrainian history03:06 — Why world wars revolved around Ukraine06:02 — Russia’s dangerous dream of the 21st century09:28 — Good empires vs. bad empires14:13 — The empire paradox17:27 — Russia’s secret weapon: violence20:59 — Why Ukrainian nobles felt “freer” than Russians30:31 — Ukraine’s miracle: democracy against all odds33:35 — Breaking the myth of Moscow’s “Third Rome”37:06 — Khmelnytsky’s gamble: alliances that changed history41:28 — Ukraine’s naive hope: negotiating within the empire44:13 — The only way to stop Russia’s imperial comeback48:53 — Why history still matters