How they made us Russian: music, TV series and the culture of occupation
How we were made “Russian” through music, TV series, and books. The 1989 Chervona Ruta festival in Chernivtsi became an explosion of Ukrainian culture and, according to Ivan Malkovich, ignited […]
Alevtina Gongišt. A Vepsian woman against the flow of her own blood
Vepsian Alevtina’s passport surname is Soldatova. She disliked this name even as a child. So she chose a pseudonym, the author’s name—Gongisht. What does it mean? The word “Gong” shares […]
“The empire will take a long time to fall apart, rot, and stink.” The creator of “Masyanya” on Russia’s future
The collapse of an overly centralised Russia is a nightmare for some, but for others, a chance for true democracy. According to Oleg Kuvaev, creator of the cult animated series […]
Dismantling of the monument to Salavat Yulaev as the Kremlin’s recognition of the prospects for Bashkir independence
Modern states, as in their history, have several iconic figures who, in the collective imagination, symbolize independence and national identity. In Bashkortostan, the most notable are two: Salavat Yulaev and […]
“Since about the age of ten, I realized I was different”: a conversation with an East Slobozhanshchyna Cossack-Ukrainian from the Voronezh region
This story is about loss and preservation. About how generations of Ukrainians were systematically deprived of their memory, language, and even nationality in official documents. The interviewee is Mykola (name changed for safety reasons), an East Slobozhanshchyna Ukrainian Cossack. He was born and raised in the Novokhopyorsk district of Voronezh Oblast — a region where Ukrainian used to be spoken in families, but over time it was banned, ridiculed, and erased. Some details have been intentionally omitted for safety reasons.
Yellow Klyn. Ukrainian Volga Region. The History of the Struggle for Freedom and Language
Yellow Klyn is a vast historical region of the Volga area, where Ukrainians gradually settled over several centuries. This territory encompasses Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, and Ulyanovsk regions, as well […]
Russian-Buryat wars. How the colonization of Buryatia took place
Recently, a video went viral on the Internet showing how the village of Mukhorshibiri in Buryatia honoured the memory of 79 SVO participants. The media immediately began to mourn the […]
Liberals want to keep this pyramid
Farida Kurbangaleeva and Alexander Etkind spoke about future scenarios for Russia and the indigenous nations of Russia. Why they still have a chance to gain sovereignty and under what circumstances […]
The truth about the enslaved people of Erzya and their prophecy about the collapse of Russia
Who are Erzya? How does this enslaved people fight for their state and the collapse of the Russian Empire? Why are the indigenous peoples of Russia reliable allies of Ukraine? […]
