Why Russia fears Ukrainian literature - with Myroslav Shkandrij

Myroslav Shkandrij is a prominent scholar of Ukrainian cultural history and Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba in Canada. He has written extensively on topics such as avant-garde art in Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalism, Jews in Ukrainian literature, cultural imperialism, and decolonization. His book “Russia and Ukraine: Literature and the Discourse of Empire, from Napoleonic to Postcolonial Times”, published in 2001, remains a classic text on Russian cultural imperialism and Ukrainian resistance to it. Find the book here: https://diasporiana.org.ua/literaturoznavstvo/shkandrij-m-russia-and-ukraine-literature-and-the-discourse-of-empire-from-napoleonic-to-postcolonial-times/ *** I invited Myroslav to revisit this work and reflect on how literature has, for centuries, served as a battleground of ideas between Russia and Ukraine. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I’m a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld.org is an English-language media outlet that explores Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine. Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld — 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: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project “HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine”, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action. *** Contents: 00:00 - Intro. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld 08:46 - Why is assimilation so crucial to Russian imperialism? 16:59 - Were there any anti-imperial voices within Russian culture? 21:30 - Who were the key figures of Ukrainian intellectual resistance in the 19th century? 35:33 - Why did Ukraine's fight for independence fail after 1917? 40:56 - How does "decolonization" theory apply to Ukraine's struggle?