PODCAST · society
The Slavic Connexion
by Connexions
An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and Clements Center for National Security. Whether you're a Slavophile, a foreign affairs junkie, or simply a curious mind, The Slavic Connexion offers insightful, accessible, and even fun discussions on the sprawling region in the context of our hyperconnected world. "It's not typical Texas..."
Episodes
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Harry Potter and Putin’s Russia: Fantasy, Fandom, and Politics with Eliot Borenstein
What happens when Harry Potter arrives in Russia just as Vladimir Putin rises to power? Cullan and Lera speak with returning guest Dr. Eliot Borenstein (NYU), author of the new book The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children’s Literature, and Fandom in Putin’s Russia, to unpack how Western fantasy...
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Remembering the Forgotten: Eastern Europe’s Migrant Experience
On this episode, Cullan speaks with sociology professor Lisa Wisniewski of Goodwin University about her new book exploring the lived experiences of Slavic Americans and the cultural, political, and emotional landscapes they navigate as immigrants. Drawing from personal narratives and...
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Tower of Mud and Straw: War and Propaganda Through the Lens of Sci-Fi
In this episode, we sit down with Russian-born author Yaroslav Barsukov, whose life and work are deeply intertwined with the political upheavals of modern Russia. Growing up in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia, Barsukov witnessed firsthand the rise of Vladimir Putin before immigrating to...
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Degrees of Freedom: Women Under Serfdom in Russia
What was life like for Russian women under serfdom? In this episode, Cullan talks with the expert on this subject, Dr. Tracy Dennison, a historian and professor at Caltech. Based on her talk by the same name, Tracy explores how societal structures shaped and limited women's choices…
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Unlocking Change: Meet the Prague Civil Society Centre
On this episode, host Cullan chats with Siarhei of the Prague Civil Society Centre to discuss the transformative work of the organization and the power of the connections they build across Europe and Central Asia. If you've been tuning in for a while, you probably noticed that some of our most...
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The German Perspective: NATO, Ukraine, and Russian Information Operations
On this episode, Basil speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Martin Wroblewski, PhD, a seasoned officer in the German Army with deep insights into the intricacies of European security dynamics. They delve into the German role in NATO and in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, as well as Russian information...
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"Bad Romance": Sex, Spies, and Lies from the Cold War
On this episode, Josh Sanborn joins Lera and Sergio to talk about his latest cultural research on spies and spy fiction from the Cold War, and the fascinating interplay between the Intelligence Community and the fiction world. In his forthcoming book project Bad Romance, Josh unpacks famed novels...
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Stable Division: Belarus & the Continued Battle for Democracy
"When we think about the War in Ukraine, we should think about Belarus as well," says Ryhor Astapenia, founder and research director of the Centre for New Ideas, a Minsk-based non-partisan civil society organization promoting democratic reforms in Belarus. On this episode, Ryhor shares with us...
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"We're all in cyberspace together": Digital Literacy from Ukraine to the World
On this episode, recorded at UNLOCK Prague 2024, SlavX host Kate speaks with Anastasiia Apetyk, a lawyer and expert on information rights and digital security. Since 2017, at the Expert Centre for Human Rights (Kyiv, Ukraine), Anastasiia has been researching security issues at the community…
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"I tried the 'Truth' thing": Telegram, Free Speech, and the Debunking Dilemma
In this episode, Basil and Misha sit down with Maksim Dvorovyi to discuss his work on digital advocacy in Ukraine and globally, the potential banning of Telegram due to its lack of content regulation, and the trouble with debunking as a method for countering disinformation. We hope you enjoy!…
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It's Complicated: North Macedonia, Historiography, and Indigenous Nations
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Keith Brown, a distinguished anthropologist from Arizona State University's Melikian Center. Dr. Brown takes us on a deep dive into the rich and often contentious history of Macedonia, exploring the complexities of historiography and the narratives that shape...
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Metaphor to Direct: The History of Russian New Drama
On this episode, Nick speaks with Susanna Weygandt a scholar studying performance theories of Russian and East European theater. She discusses the work of Anatoly Vasiliev, famed Russian theater director for the Moscow School of Dramatic Arts. Thanks for listening! ABOUT THE GUEST: Elena Susanna...
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Words Without Bars: Russian Prison Literature & the Encyclopedia of the Dog
On this episode, José Vergara (Bryn Mawr College) delves into the challenges and rewards of teaching literature in a carceral setting and his continued exploration of novels born behind bars. From the haunting prose of incarcerated writers to the innovative realms of digital humanities, Vergara...
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"Dynasty Divided: A Family History of Russian and Ukrainian Nationalism"
On this episode, Misha and Cullan speak with Fabian Baumann, a research associate at the University of Heidelberg, whose latest book Dynasty Divided (2023, NIU Press) uniquely approaches the nuanced history of Ukrainian and Russian nationalism through a prominent Kievan family of journalists,...
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Cyber Crime & Punishment in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War
On this episode, Kseniya Yurtayeva joins Taylor and Basil to discuss her work on cyberaggression, hybrid warfare, and the difficulty of creating and enforcing cyber law in the midst of a global conflict. ABOUT THE GUEST: Kseniya Yurtayeva holds a PhD in criminal law, criminology and...
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Liberty After Liberalism: Post-Maidan Transformations in Ukrainian Media
On this episode, Taras Fedirko from the University of Glasgow joins us on the Forty Acres to share the multilayered story of post-Soviet media in Ukraine and its dramatic transformations from Kravchuk to Zelenskyy. ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Taras Fedirko is a Lecturer in Organized Crime and Corruption…
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Through American Eyes: Citizen Diplomacy and the Post-Soviet Market Economy
On this episode, attorney and business consultant Daniel Satinsky shares about his new book, which tells the story of American participation in the dismantling of the Soviet economy and the creation of the Russian market economy in the 1990s. Creating the Post-Soviet Russian Market Economy…
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Reporting in "Relative Unfreedom": A Conversation with Pjotr Sauer of The Guardian
On this episode, Pjotr Sauer shares his firsthand experiences and reflections on reporting on Russia both before February 24, 2022 from within the country and then after, reporting from outside of the country. He elaborates on the difficulties for all journalists in navigating the challenges and...
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Haunted Empire: Power, Trauma, & the Uncanny in Russian Imperial Gothic Literature
On this episode, Valeria Sobol of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaigne talks with us about her 2000 book "Haunted Empire." Dr. Sobol guides us through the tapestries of Imperial Russia, where crumbling estates and eerie figures cast long shadows over the pages of history. Drawing on her...
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Ukraine and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections with Terrell Jermaine Starr
On this episode, independent journalist Terrell Jermaine Starr shares his experiences covering Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022 and explaining to Americans the importance of the nation for global security, democracy, and humanity broadly. "We all need to be invested in each other's safety...
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From Empires and Kings to Hitler and Co.: Democracy and Dictatorship in Central and Eastern Europe
On this episode, renowned historian John Connelly from the University of California, Berkeley, talks with us about the growth of fascism from democracy, the roots and justification narratives of anti-semitism in Germany and elsewhere, and the development of nationalism in modern history across...
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Resiliency, Corruption, and Uncertainty: Assessing Ukraine's Politics and Long-Term Prospects
On this episode, poitical scientist Serhiy Kudelia of Baylor University speaks with us about multiple topics on Ukraine from the prospects for Ukraine in the long-term, depending on continued western support, to the political effects of the war on Ukrainian leadership. Dr. Kudelia discusses the...
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Germany and NATO: Developing Interoperability, Information Advantage, & Resiliency
On this episode, we speak with Lieutenant Colonel Martin Wroblewski, PhD, a seasoned officer in the German Army with deep insights into the intricacies of European security dynamics. We delve into the German role in NATO and in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. LTC Wroblewski shares his expertise on...
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Demystifying Cyber: Building Resiliency in the Modern Technology Landscape
On this episode, Francesca Lockhart, cybersecurity professor at The University of Texas at Austin, talks about her unique and prescient cybersecurity clinic that she developed on the Forty Acres after leading the Homeland Security Unit at the Texas Department of Public Safety. Francesca also...
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"Atomic Steppe": The Soviet Nuclear Legacy and the Global Arms Race
On this episode, Dr. Togzhan Kassenova joined Taylor and Nick for a conversation about the destructive impact of Soviet nuclear testing in Kazakhstan and the figurative fallout of the dissolution of the USSR which resulted in Russia providing security guarantees to "divorced" states in exchange…
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Ballistics and Ballots: The Ukraine War in 2024 and Beyond with Michael Kofman
On this first episode of 2024, we reflect on the War in Ukraine and Ukraine's prospects for continued political and military support in 2024 and beyond with Carnegie Endowment's senior fellow and renowned military analyst Michael Kofman. ABOUT THE GUEST Michael Kofman is a senior fellow in the...
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Mordor to Moscow, Potter to Putin: Into the Slavic Multiverse with Eliot Borenstein
On this episode, Eliot Borenstein returns for a fun conversation about the political and historical themes in pop culture and the abundance of Marvel, Harry Potter, LOTR, etc. fan fiction that emerged post-socialism. We hope you enjoy! ABOUT THE GUEST Eliot Borenstein is Professor of Russian &...
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Battle Without Borders: Cyberwarfare and the Russian (Dis)advantage
On this episode, cyber expert Gavin Wilde joined us to talk all things cyberwarfare. He defined the term and its distinction from information warfare; shared the reasons why he believes studying Russia is important for this complex, actively developing, and hard-to-measure battlefront; and…
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Gravedigger of the Present: Memory Politics and the Weaponization of History
In this episode, Bartek Gajos discusses his in-depth research into memory politics during the Soviet period and today, specifically the weaponization of history by the Russian regime, the past's influence on present actions taken by great powers, NATO expansion and EU enlargement, the "armageddon...
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The State of Investigative Journalism in Russia Today with Mikhail Rubin
On this episode, Taylor and Misha speak with Mikhail Rubin, journalist and co-founder of Proekt Media, the lead investigative media outlet in Russia. Thanks for listening! ABOUT THE GUEST Mikhail Rubin has covered Russian policy processes for nearly 13 years. During this period, he has had the...
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The (Grass)roots of Illiberalism: Contemporary Authoritarianism, Identity Projects, & Culture Wars in Europe
In this episode, Nick and Eliza talk with widely respected historian and sociologist Marlène Laruelle about the concept of illiberalism and its spread across Europe. Dr. Laruelle explains how she frames the relatively new term as a cluster of ideologies that is challenging liberalism in its…
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Surveillance, Liberty, & Privacy: A Conversation on National Security & Emerging Technologies with Adam Klein
On this episode, Adam Klein, director of the Strauss Center for International Security & Law, shares his insights on the concerns around security versus freedom of speech; his work covering the confluence of law, surveillance, and emerging technologies; and his unique perspectives on global...
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Bravehearts: The Real Story of the Chechens' Unending Fight for Independence (#Connexions speaker series)
On this episode, Dr. Michael Dennis, a leading expert on the Chechen Republic, tells the multifaceted story of the Chechen fight for independence, including the consequences of the Chechen Wars, the rise of the Kadyrov family, lessons learned by the Russian Army, impacts on the Putin regime's...
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Yellowing Paper: Russian Journalism, the New Proletarian Elite, and an Economy of Smugglers
On this episode, we talk with Financial Times' Moscow bureau chief Max Seddon who speaks about his personal path to journalism in Putin's Russia, the state of the country's economic system, the political ineffectiveness of Russian oligarchs, and much more. Thanks for listening! ABOUT THE GUEST…
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On the Wings of Russian Propaganda: Slovakia and the Decline of Democracy in Central Europe
On this episode, Slovakian politician and academic Martin Klus talks with us during a trip to Texas about the state of the Slovak Republic following the recent elections favoring a more Moscow-friendly government. Slovakia's move towards the pro-Russia camp in which Victor Orban's Hungary sits…
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A Matter of Defense: Russia's Arms Industry, Post-Soviet Wars, and American Pragmatism
On this episode, Misha talks with Ruslan Pukhov, a Russian defense analyst and the director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST). Mr. Pukhov shares about the origins of CAST during the late 90s, the state of Russia's defense economy, and his views on the...
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From Fallujah to the Forty Acres: History, Strategy, and Statecraft with Paul Edgar
On this episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Paul Edgar, the interim executive director of the Clements Center for National Security at UT Austin. Paul spoke about how he went from the military to academia, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and his goals for the Clements Center as a…
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From Russia to Hollywood: Bringing Slavic Culture to the Silver Screen
On this episode, Misha and Taylor speak with Lada Egorova, a Russian filmmaker in Los Angeles who has an ambitious and timely project, creating a TV comedy about Slavic emigres to the US and their culture. The show is titled BLIN, meaning 'pancake' and explores the Russian community and its…
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There's No Business Like War Business: Prigozhin, Putin, and Weakening Partnerships
On this episode, Mark McNamee, political, economic, and intelligence analyst, talks with host Nick about a range of topics pertaining to Russia's War in Ukraine: from the late Prizoghin's mutiny to China's and Russia's relationship rooted largely in an anti-Western agenda and what this means for...
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Bohemian Forgery: The Legendary Czech Manuscripts and National Myth
On this episode, Cullan is joined by Dr. David Cooper, the department head and associate professor at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois, to speak about his recent book on two Czech Manuscripts and the story of their successful forgery and dramatic...
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Post-Soviet Protests, Politics, and Premature Dismissals of Russia's Regional Governors
On this episode, Lera and Cullan chat with Tatiana Tkacheva, a research fellow at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, about the strategies of the autocrat in dealing with regional governors. In her paper, she and her co-authors attempt to answer this question by using the example of...
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The Case of DOXA: A New Chapter in Russian Youth Repression
On this episode, Lera sits down with Anastasiya Osipova, a scholar of Soviet and contemporary Russian and Ukrainian cultures, who shares about her research on DOXA, a student journal on political harassment in academia that emerged from Higher School of Economics in Moscow in 2017. DOXA was...
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Behind Black & White Frontlines: Literature Development in Wartime Ukraine, 2014-2022
On this episode, Lera and Misha sit down with Dr. Alexander Chertenko, a professor of Ukrainian literature at the University of Giessen in Germany. Dr. Chertenko is uniquely positioned to trace the wartime development of Ukrainian literature in the country since 2014. He also illuminates the...
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The Art of Transition from Socialist to Post-Socialist Russia
On this episode, Elise Herrala takes us on a tour of the evolution of art and artists in Soviet Russia and post-Soviet Russia. Elise also gives us some insight into what is going on today in Putin's Russia in terms of state repression and renewed restriction on creative freedoms. You can check…
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KAZKA: The Voice of Ukraine
On this special episode, Sergio and Misha get the opportunity to speak with Sasha Zaritska, the lead singer of U-pop band KAZKA, and Andriy Urenov, producer and manager of the band. Their new single "Bez Kohannya" (Without Love) is out this Friday! Listen to the end of the episode for a sneak...
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You Only Need to Die: The Secret Police of East Germany and Romania
On this episode, Valentina Glajar and Alison Lewis share their personal stories and research on the history of East Germany's STASI and Romania's Securitate and the dismantling of these secret police forces. Thank you for listening! You can listen to Douglas Selvage's episode here:...
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Milan Rastislav Štefánik: The Slovak National Hero and Co-Founder of Czechoslovakia
On this episode, Cullan talks with Professor Michal Kšiňan about his monograph on the Slovak national hero and co-founder of Czechoslovakia, Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Michal talks about Štefánik's military career and meteoric rise and the place he continues to hold in Czechoslovakia history and...
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"In the Storms of Transformation": History of Balkan Migration and Globalization with Ulf Brunnbauer
On this episode, Cullan sits down with lauded historian Ulf Brunnbauer, managing director of the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies in Regensburg, Germany, whose research on the social history and anthropology of Southeast Europe reveals that the Balkan region is in many…
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The Other: Russian-American Relations Through the Centuries with Ivan Kurilla
On this episode, historian Dr. Ivan Kurilla from European University in St. Petersburg shares about his research on the rich and little-known history of US-Russia relations since the 18th century. Dr. Kurilla explains how the US and Russia are "constitutive others" that have developed…
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Compounding Conflicts: Russia in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa with Robert Freedman
On this episode, venerated political scientist Dr. Robert Freedman joins us to expound on the various wars and conflicts that Russia has gotten into, not only in Ukraine, but also in Syria, Libya, Mali, and more. Dr. Freedman articulates Putin's current goals as he sees them, touches on the…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and Clements Center for National Security. Whether you're a Slavophile, a foreign affairs junkie, or simply a curious mind, The Slavic Connexion offers insightful, accessible, and even fun discussions on the sprawling region in the context of our hyperconnected world. "It's not typical Texas..."
HOSTED BY
Connexions
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Slavic Connexion have?
The Slavic Connexion currently has 215 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Slavic Connexion about?
An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and Clements Center for National Security. Whether you're a Slavophile, a foreign affairs...
How often does The Slavic Connexion release new episodes?
The Slavic Connexion publishes regularly with 215 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Slavic Connexion?
You can listen to The Slavic Connexion on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Slavic Connexion?
The Slavic Connexion is created and hosted by Connexions.
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