Ep. 53 - Indoctrination, History, and War Crimes in Ukraine w/Tatiana Vorozhko

Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just being fought on the battlefield — it is being waged in classrooms, history books, and the minds of the next generation.

In this episode of Peace and Power Ukraine, host Gary Marx speaks with Tatiana Vorozhko, contributing editor at The Reckoning Project and veteran journalist, for a deep and wide-ranging discussion on war crimes documentation, Russian indoctrination efforts, and the role of history in shaping the conflict.

Vorozhko explains her work with The Reckoning Project, an initiative that collects firsthand testimony from victims and witnesses of the war in a way that can be used in future legal proceedings. She provides insight into how journalists, researchers, and legal experts are working together to document potential war crimes in real time — ensuring accountability is possible even during an ongoing conflict.

A major focus of the conversation is Russia’s systematic effort to reshape education in occupied Ukrainian territories. Vorozhko details how children are being taught a rewritten version of history, forced into Russian-language instruction, and exposed to programs designed to instill loyalty to Russia while erasing Ukrainian identity.

The discussion also explores:
• How Russia is using education as a tool of control in occupied territories
• The militarization of children and preparation for future conflict
• Why Ukrainian parents risk punishment to keep their children connected to Ukrainian education
• How history is actively manipulated to justify Russia’s actions
• The deeper ideological roots of Putin’s worldview and rejection of Ukrainian nationhood
• Why historical narratives are being weaponized in modern geopolitics
• The legal challenges of defining and prosecuting war crimes
• How global conflicts — including Iran — impact Ukraine and Russia’s position
• Why rising oil prices may strengthen Russia’s war effort
• How the war has strengthened Ukrainian national identity

Vorozhko also provides critical historical context, explaining how competing interpretations of history — from the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union to today — continue to shape political decisions and justify aggression. She emphasizes that while history is often used as a political tool, modern conflicts must ultimately be judged by international law, not historical claims.

The conversation concludes with a powerful insight: while Russia seeks to erase Ukrainian identity, the war has had the opposite effect — strengthening national unity, cultural pride, and a renewed sense of purpose among Ukrainians.

00:00 — Introduction and global context: Ukraine, Iran, and Russia
01:06 — Tatiana Vorozhko joins the podcast and background
02:05 — What The Reckoning Project does and why it matters
05:02 — Children in occupied territories and education changes
06:05 — Indoctrination, propaganda, and Russian curriculum
07:28 — Militarization of children and long-term consequences
09:28 — Soviet influence vs modern Russian indoctrination
11:23 — Parents resisting and risks of Ukrainian education access
13:09 — Standardized Russian textbooks and state control
14:12 — Is this a return to Soviet-style systems?
15:05 — Putin’s view of Ukrainian identity explained
17:08 — History as a political weapon
20:21 — Competing historical narratives: Russia vs Ukraine
23:13 — How historical myths justify modern aggression
26:08 — Why history is tightly controlled inside Russia
28:11 — International law vs historical justification
29:07 — War crimes: what can and cannot be defined
30:36 — Iran conflict and implications for Russia and Ukraine
31:18 — Oil prices and why Russia benefits
32:34 — Russia’s weakening alliances globally
33:23 — Final thoughts: how war strengthens Ukrainian identity

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