Volodymyr Yermolenko is President of PEN Ukraine, the writers Union, and Chief Editor of Ukraine World. He is one of Ukraine’s leading cultural and intellectual figures, a philosopher, essayist, translator, Doctor of Political Studies, candidate of philosophical sciences, and senior lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. It is a great privilege to be in conversation, especially here in Kyiv. In this discussion, Yermolenko unpacks the complexities of Ukrainian identity, the historical context of Russian-Ukrainian relations, and the ongoing war. He explores themes of assimilation, imperialism, and the role of language in shaping national identity, while also analyzing how media narratives influence public perception. ---------- This event was co-hosted jointly by the Fog of War & Silicon Curtain podcasts. Hosts: Yaroslava Bukhta and Jonathan Fink 📍 Recorded at the office of ICAP Yednannia 🎥 Filming & Editing: Vladyslav Mashkin, The Ukrainians Media 📢 Event Logistics & Communications: 9.Department & Veronika Kobzysta 🔍 Key Topics: ✅ The historical roots of Russian-Ukrainian relations ✅ How language shapes identity and assimilation ✅ The role of media in shaping war narratives ✅ The cultural stakes of Ukraine’s fight for identity ✅ What this means for Europe’s future 📢 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth conversations on Ukraine, media, and global affairs. ---------- 00:00:00 - Introduction to the event and speaker 00:03:47 - Importance of memory and history in the Russian political project 00:04:32 - Discussion on the conscious effort to erase historical documents 00:05:26 - The symbolic significance of Chersones in Russian history 00:06:58 - The destruction of historical monuments in Crimea 00:08:04 - The role of legacy in European history 00:13:15 - The significance of language in shaping identity 00:14:41 - Language as a tool of imperialism and assimilation 00:20:58 - The challenge of conveying the reality of war to outsiders 00:28:56 - Discussion on genocide and reconciliation post-conflict 00:34:45 - The future of Europe and the rise of authoritarianism 00:50:20 - The balance between power and democracy in society 01:02:25 - The fight for Ukrainian identity as an anti-imperial struggle 01:06:26 - The role of culture in understanding and translating experiences 01:19:20 - The impact of media narratives on public perception 01:21:54 - Closing thoughts and reflections on the discussion ---------- 🎧 Follow us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/ ---------- View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/ https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/ https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/ ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ----------