Maksym Eristavi - The Russia Empire and it's Destructive Behaviour has no Place in the 21st Century.
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- čas přidán 19. 12. 2023
- Russia is tearing itself away from modern civilization and its associated values, norms, and comforts. What demons have resurfaced from Russia’s past, and what is driving a form of sado-masochistic self-destruction and flagellation, that seems to be propelling Russia backwards in a painful civilisational decline. And where will this out-of-control Troika stop - possibly at an era that pre-dates Peter the Great’s efforts to punch a window onto Europe in the façade of Russia’s feudal-military despotism, established by the khans of the Mongol Horde. But what is the role of such a state in the modern world, and how to defend against it?
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Maksym Eristavi is the Russian colonialism storyteller-in-chief. An award-winning author of the book “Russian colonialism 101” and founder of Ukrainian Spaces. Maksym is a Ukrainian journalist and writer and champion of global awareness about the Russian colonial legacy.
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ABOUT:
Maksym Eristavi is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, and author of “Russian Colonialism 101,” an illustrated guide to Russian colonial crimes. A self-described 'Russian colonialism storyteller in chief,' he champions global awareness about the Russian colonial legacy. This mission is personal: a mixed Ukrainian with Asian, Roma, and Georgian roots, several generations of his family suffered from genocides, assimilation, and identity erasure throughout centuries of Russian colonial rule.
Eristavi has a two-decade journalism career behind his back that included championing mainstream English-language coverage of Eastern Europe by indigenous voices. He went from covering both Ukrainian pro-democratic revolutions, being the country’s youngest news anchor and newsroom manager to founding international operations at the leading news startup covering Eastern Europe, and becoming a contributor to leading global outlets, such as RFERL, BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Politico and the Washington Post. At the same time, Bild and The New York Times called his social media reporting an essential source on the region. He led pioneering English-language coverage of the Russian disinformation warfare, Russian colonialism, and human rights violations in Eastern Europe.
He is the founder of Volya Hub, the first storytelling hub expanding public awareness about Russian colonialism, and a co-founder of #UkrainianSpaces, a multimedia hub that amplifies Ukrainian perspectives and decolonizes global Ukraine conversations.
Eristavi also pioneered queer representation in Eastern European media and remains one of the few openly queer journalists in the region. In 2021 I co-authored ‘Untapped Power,’ a book promoting the idea of inclusive foreign policy rooted within human rights equality and a decolonized view of Eastern European queerness. He was a 2015 Poynter fellow at Yale University with a focus on informational wars and pan regional LGBTI civil rights movements. Eristavi was also a 2016-2017 fellow at the Millennium Leadership Program and a former Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council. He was also a 2020-2022 Transatlantic Leadership fellow with a DC-based Center for European Policy Analysis.
In October 2015 Eristavi was featured among the 10 most prominent LGBTI people in Ukraine during the first-ever queer project at the country’s biggest modern art center.
His work and anti-colonial bridge-building made Eristavi a featured speaker at leading universities, many parliaments, and foreign ministries, including hearings at the US Congress and the European Parliament.
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I've lived in Prague for over 30 years...half of my family are Czech...I have spent a great deal of time in both Russia and Ukraine...I can say nobody here in this region is surprised by what Russia is doing...and I know that there is a similar sentiment in Poland, Romania, the Baltics, Finland. In my experience Most Russians abroad behave as they do at home...with no sense or concept of community, common courtesy, empathy, respect or value for rule of law or the institutions that hold these values in place...frankly there is not even an interest in such values. Both at home and abroad, these are things for others...and it's been proven over time. Here in Prague most Russians behave as if they are somehow superior that they live by a different set of rules and ethics (or lack there of) , they are arrogant, loud, brutish, cartoonishly garish...they have no interest in being part of community here...they are Russian...they are above that. Ukrainians here, on the other hand, have always worked hard, they contribute to community, they are part of community here...they are a totally different culture of people...and the world ais now seeing this.
Thank you for those insights. I am from Australia and I must excuse myself as having been totally ignorant of the history and cultural divisions in your part of the world. I had assigned most of the Russian aggression to the Cold War and communists seeking dominance. I am learning this war has much deeper roots.
That's true! Especially Russians from provincial regions.
@@user-xv6vk3nd8p It does not matter whether Russian Empire, the Soviet Union or Russian Federation. 90% + Russians have an emperialistic mentality.
This just confirms what I have always suspected... That racism isn't necessarily a bad thing and that sometimes it is justified... .
You can be against someone because of their beliefs or actions. But to be against someone because of their race is just stupid and shows ignorance. @@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311
We Ukrainians do not call Peter the first the 'great', but more a tyrant and wrecker!
Great interview. I appreciate much of what Maksym stated. At the end of the interview he said that most Ukrainians started rediscovering their heritage (identity) after 2014 or the Maidon revolution of dignity. But there are millions of Ukrainians in the diaspora that never forgot who they were. Even though my family left Ukraine in 1948, they were always fiercely Ukranian. I grew up speaking Ukrainian at home. I learned Ukranian geography, history, culture and language before I learned the same of the country I lived in. Whenever asked, I proudly stated I was Ukrainian to the confusion of my peers. Their mission was to preserve our heritage because they knew it was being eliminated under the Soviets. They succeeded for multiple generations. I'm glad that Ukranian identity is resurfacing in Russified areas.
Слава Україні
The same in my family with grandparents who emigrated in 1930. I grew up immersed in Ukrainian culture, within North America. I absolutely identify as having Ukrainian heritage, and can see as clear as day - despite Putin’s best efforts, that Ukrainian culture is not Russian. It is it’s own unique culture.
I live in russia in Tatarstan and it's good to see that people in west society are talking about degeneracy of russia . Historians should explain about russian nature. Though in russia is used some benefits from modern civilization it's not making that country civilizaed.
As a Russian speaker, it's nice to hear somebody speak honestly to what's happened to half of my heritage. The shame some of us feel, when we're free to speak honestly, is crushing.
If you're Ukrainian chances are your ancestors didn't choose to speak that language. It was either because of blending in to society or forced Russophication. That language is weed and it needs to be treated as such.
I feel so sorry for you. Since the fall of the USSR, I had hope they would embrace different values. I am retired US military, and learned Russian at West Point. Such a rich culture, and I love the language. It hurts my heart, but I am supporting Ukraine. Prayers for you and your fellow Russian people. The Troika lives on. 😢
@@doelbaughman1924 Thank you.. So did we. Ukraine, did, in fact, embrace different values, and, for a little while we our Russian brothers would follow suite... So did they, for a minute. But everything changed around ~2008+ when Russian internet started becoming insular and cut off from the rest of the world like a new Red Curtain. Once the internet was controlled, the narrative was controlled (again), and the Russian people regressed to a cold war attitude and America was, once again, painted as some demonic enemy instead of a potential ally. While Putin has long spoken about Ukraine as it belonged to Russia, we somehow believed the Russian government would NOT pull the trigger on this insane invasion... Sadly we were wrong, and many people were not surprised, despite the rampant Russian propaganda in Ukraine saying an invasion was impossible... The level of betrayal Ukrainians feel is difficult to express.
Greetings from Bulgaria. Thank you for bringing light onto the trauma suffered by so many of us in Eastern Europe and across the continent. Here, we were occupied by USSR in 1944. We are just now getting rid of a monument to the occupying army in 2023, and there are people who are.genuinely opposed to it. We've been feeding ourselves poison in school for decades, and its going to take decades still to undo.
Yes, this Russian modus operandi works very well. They install their own myths and narratives and these are so effective that... after 45 years of occupation people accept a monument of an occupying soldier who took their freedom and oppressed them. Russians are VERY GOOD at this. They know this imperialism and colonialism thing very well, polished to perfection.
Many former occupied countries are also pulling down the various symbols. It makes sense to get rid of the symbols of horror and ugliness.
The world is now aware.
A poignant quote from Charles Dickens always comes to my mind when world affairs seem to spiral into anarchy.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
A quote I like -
I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
Wise words/quotes from you both, so much darkness and despair of late.@@arshputz
Interesting topic 👍
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Golly. There is so much I am learning (have learnt) from the last 2 podcasts on this channel, on Russia and Ukraine. I was gutted when Russia invaded Ukraine. I thought imperialism and colonialism were relegated to the history books and to realise humanity has not learnt anything, or advanced beyond attitudes predating mid-20th century (or post-dating the 2nd world war) is just depressing. To think that Russia post-czar has been a state effectively run by the Security Services, coupled with this imperial conquest blood-lust, to erase culture and peoples, to distort or re-write history, which continues to this day. Ukraine is fighting a war for their own nation/peoples survival and the good of humanity. God help us if the invader prevails.
I knew, but I'm saddened to see two countries at full-scale war in Europe. I thought we had moved past that. It feels like living in 1914.
Then again, I also thought we had moved past the far-right and fascism, yet here we are, the far-right growing in more and more countries.
This is nuts. When Russians robbed my house in Bucha district, I was shocked, my family album was stolen amongst electronic devices. I know they have a list pro-ukrainian people here and their houses was "visited" first .
Thank you for your job and vocalisation of this barbarism is 21th century.
That is the plan for the Russian military forces, to locate anyone who won't "cooperate" and get them.
I'm sorry 😞. You lived in peace until 9 years ago, now it's anything but.
Thank you for telling us what you had to deal with.🙏
Please know that people around the world are now aware, perhaps far too late.
I am so sorry that your family was targeted. I cannot fathom what your family went through. Wish you strength!
🇺🇦 Заради життя кожного українця! 🇺🇦
We have observed the ruzzia tentacles spreading across the World, for many years,
maybe this is what a boiling frog feels like?
Various bits of information reach the West,
but it is so horrifically beyond a civilised understanding,
it is difficult to fully take in.
To hear the puzzle pieces being put together by a Ukrainian,
who was also brought up to despise Ukrainian culture, was a shock.
We need more of this viewpoint, helping us to "connect the dots".
Sad and the world divided over this genocide makes it even worse.
You are so correct. To try to imagine anyone believing that Russian genocide of Ukraine is normative geopolitical action or that so much of Russian population accept this as normal at all is beyond my understanding. Putin would seem to dream that he is Genghis Khan.
Agreed 👍
There is no middle ground.
I absolutely love your delivery. The way you LISTEN once you've asked your guest a question is amazing. This does not happen with (many) other hosts in media (especially visual media). You are also terrific in the way you share your own knowledge & experience(s), both with your guests (as conversational prompts), & with your audience. Your intelligence & humanity shines through. Thank you for all of your efforts to inform by giving historical background to help explain current events. ❤
It’s late here in Estonia, but listening to the latest SC upload. Thanks Jonathon, Slava Ukraine 🇪🇪🇺🇦
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Another Estonian here, good stuff, keep it up!
Ukranian here, thank you Estonia for the support 🇺🇦❤️🇪🇪 and thank you Jonathon for the incredible job that you do!
Thank you Estonians!!! 🇪🇪
Heroyam slava 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🫡
Powerful exposé from Maksym on Ukrainian identity. It confirms the greatness of the Ukrainian people. Such a notable asset they'll be for both the EU & NATO! Russians are no match!👹 Slava Ukraini!🇺🇦🔱💪🏾
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Jonathan, I think it's fantastic that you would have a true Ukrainian, Maksym Eristavi, who loves his country, and recently, Jake Bro, a Ukrainian blogger, who also loves the Ukrainian people. They both show me the importance of this free country. The whole world prays for their survival, and victory over evil and the attempt of genocide of this wonderful people. God Bless all Ukrainians, from those brave soldiers on the front lines, to the citizens in their homes fighting every day for life!! Thank you!
Maksym Eristavi is Ukrainian?
Did you not listen to the interview? Or perhaps you just didn't listen carefully enough?@kingdomofgeorgia1751
@@Terry_Fella Yes, I listend to the interview the second time. I'm not sure what I said wrong and what you want to prove.
@@Terry_Fella Maybe my first comment was confusing. Maksym's last name is Eristavi. This is a Georgian last name, which means a head of the nation in Georgian.
In the Georgian history, the Eristavi dynasty was a noble dynasty (equivalent to Duke). After the Russian Empire incorporated a small Kingdom into the empire in 1801, Russia forced all Georgian nobles and landlords to leave Georgia for Russia.
@kingdomofgeorgia1751 Thanks for explaining about Maksym's surname. It's interesting to know the history behind the name & explains why you queried whether he was Ukrainian. My comment to you was only because Maksym stated he was Ukrainian during the interview & and I've followed him on Twitter for a while so I knew he was Ukrainian. I was unaware of the history behind his name. Thanks for clarifying. 🙏
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
Often I find it hard to watch interviews such as this to the end, getting fed up with the evil and not wanting to hear more. This seemingly industrial wipe-out of culture and personal history is terrible but after following the news about Ukraine for the past years, the evil of Russia does not surprise me much. That state has certainly no democratic roots and the barbarity and mentality seems to be copied from the East-Asian invaders that plagued them maybe over eight centuries ago.
It's Asiatic, yes. If you get the chance you should read the book "Cheka" by George Popoff, published in 1921 I think it was, as a warning to the West. Popoff's twin brother was in the White Arny and was massacred with thousands of others on Solovski island where they would take the prosoners on boats then sink them in the ice cold waters. George Popoff was searching for information of what had happened to his brother and was arrested by the Cheka and interrorgated by Felix Dezerzhinsky himself. He was shocked to see how the European Russian population had disappered (murdered, prison) and the city streets were full of Orientals. The Soviet system was Asiatic, and it never went away. Hope you get a chance to read it.
I share your comparison of Russia to the Mongols.
I saw a sample of Maxim’s book. It was so perfectly explained and easy to follow. I highly recommend it.
It’s actually quite sad that it took a criminal invasion of a neofascist colonial junta with a now utterly degenerated society to make me aware of Eastern Europe…
Thank you very much for never becoming tired of talking, educating and sharing!
Fantastic interview! Makes me appreciate the power of the Reformation, Enlightenment, and political economy. Nations need not "own" resources to benefit from them.
Thank you, Jonathan and Maksym, for this eye-opening and sometimes heartbreaking interview. It seems that Russia, as an entity created by its people, has an utterly evil intelligence. I'd love to know the names of the artists that were mentioned. My phonetic spelling doesn't work on Google. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 ♥️ Heroyam Slava 🇺🇦 ♥️ Victory for Ukraine 🇺🇦 ♥️
Maksym talked about Kazimir Malevich who is regarded as an important avant garde artist of the 29th century. Jonathan mentioned Ilya Repin, a famous 19th century artist. This same pattern of identity theft applies also to many other creative fields, music, literature, etc. Sadly, even today, respected institutes that have these works in their collections, are not moving very quickly to correct their attributions. It requires research and effort, and moral values.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you! I will look at their work.
Being Dutch and digesting the dutch kolonialism which has been on Indonesia, I recognize much of the supremacy story and - feelings . with the motto' We only bring the good '
The most important stuff now that you are actually aware of what it is. But if you d talk to any Russians they would be perplexed and denie everything. They will tell you that there was nothing before they came and educated Ukrainians and others
There is an entire world that shows us that Russian cultural superiority is a ridiculous idea. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
pretty much yes
Bullsh$t is more like it
Ukraine is a region of Russia
@@SergiuCosminViorel another opposite day in parashka 🤡
@@SergiuCosminViorel
Correction: “Russia is a region of Ukraine “🇺🇦 🎉
"At least all the stolen art in the British museum is labled with where it was stolen from."
😂🤣😂 Oh, man. This made me laugh so much. So true! And, dare I say, so polite! 😉
What a great guest. Very much enjoyed this conversation. I learned a lot I didn't know about Ukraine. Thank you so much. You both have given me lots to think about.
And I feel like once again, as has happened several times over this long 2 years (of 10) of war, that my mind has gone through yet another frame-shift in thinking about Russia and colonization and Ukraine's diverse and rich history.
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
Much love and support (we're trying to get more to Ukraine!) from the US 🇺🇲
❤from Ukraine
I have bookmarked a link to your book and I will definitely buy it when it's available, Maksym. As a Lithuanian, russian aggression and genocidal tactics are not something I'm surprised to hear about.
I thank you!
Great interview. I will request this book for my Jan. birthday gift.
Slava Ukraini!💙💛
Wow, this may have been the best interview I’ve seen on CZcams this year. Such a fascinating conversation. Thank you for providing such rich content.
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I absolutely adore Ilya Repin! I felt something special when I first saw a reproduction of his works. The ukrainian culture is gorgeous.
I could listen to this all day and feel that the world is not lost
Thank you Maksym and Jonathan for an excellent discussion/presentation. I am curious about a Ukrainian historical perspective on the influence of 400 years of Lithuanian and Polish-Lithuanian rule on Ukrainian culture, identity, etc. Is that part of what makes Ukrainians more western? It would also be interesting to reflect on the fact that it was this alliance of rulers and estates that welcomed displaced Ashkenazi Jews from western Europe, thus creating the rich environment that led to the flowering of that group before they too became subject to Russian rule.
As an Ukrainian, I would say that there are different perspectives. It is important to separate the Lithuanian and Polish rules. Lithuanian rule was formal and there was never any attempt to introduce the Lithuanian/Baltic language or to encourage the migration of Lithuanians/Balts to Ukrainian territories. The monarchs of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were Balts, but the local aristocracy in Ukraine, as in Belarus, was local and retained the main power and cultural influence. Polish rule was much longer and had different effects on different regions. In general, Poland could never assimilate or peacefully incorporate a significant Ukrainian minority and the contradictions between Ukrainians and Poles benefited the Russians and Germans.
Thank you.
"Gaslighting, invading, annihilating" explains the process of russian occupation ("intentional genocide") horrifically & yet so succinctly.
So many of your interviews have been brilliant but this is one of your best yet.
Thank you, Jonathan, for these really informative insights from Maksym. I have followed Maksym, on Twitter, since the early days of the full-scale invasion and always found his writing both informative & inspiring. It was wonderful to listen to him in person & in such depth. This is certainly an interview to listen to many times to appreciate fully all that was said.
I feel certain Ukraine WILL prevail & prosper as Ukrainians have so much to teach the rest of us about the values of freedom, democracy & humanity.
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
From what we can gather, from internet descriptions from people who have lived…and still live in Russia, for ordinary people the country is quite backward, by Western standards. For instance, many still have outside toilets, they are poorly paid, when they are paid, so they are forced to live by nefarious dealings and various levels of corruption and even stealing when they can?
This being so, it explains why they are willing to overlook, and put up with the corruption and incompetence of those they are forced to vote for? It makes sense that it’s hard to be critical of leaders who live by the same rules that you have to live by, in order to survive.
To elaborate, it also explains why they do not want to know about the atrocities committed by their leaders, in their name, by accepting that the horrors are being carried out for them makes it easier to live with, in an already stressed life, which explains their disregard for the supposed ‘lesser people’ being oppressed…
It has become their culture, like the Germans who were screaming with joy at the ranting of Hitler…… Only total defeat and humiliation will change things, but we have to be aware of the low quality of our own politicians, who will also turn blind eyes when it suits what will benefit them?
Spot on title. The only remaining question is will the world have the guts to remove it, so that we can live without this axe over our heads. I surely hope so!
Very interesting conversation Johnathan & I'd like to add my amateur historian 2 pence worth.
Kiev or the Kievan Rus existed for hundreds of years when Moscow was just a swamp. Russia today links it's identity to the Kievan Rus empire yet is little more than an plagiarism of it. This is why it's so important that Russia/ Moscow controls Ukraine because without Ukraine & Kiev Russian imperial history is an empty box full of lies. Putin & Russia are laying claim to the imperial history of the Kievan Rus and without that grand history Russians are little more than the swamp rats they're proving themselves to be.
I wonder how many people even know where the name Rus came from?.
It goes back as far as the 8th century and the name given to the mostly Swedish vikings pillaging and trading down the length of the Volga and dnipro rivers all the way down to Constantinople on the southern black sea.
Modern Russia is actually quite a modern construct plagiarizing ancient Swedish and Ukrainian history inorder to boost its own ego. Much of Russian history that they want to lay claim to is actually a fake & a lie.
Rus translate as Russia. history textbooks do not need to be smoked, they need to be read and preferably of good quality. Dictator Khrushchev, based on logistical considerations, transferred Crimea to the administrative management of Ukraine and Ukrainian statehood itself was created under the USSR. And all the eastern territories of Ukraine were part of the Russia and were inhabited by Russians
Wow! Potemkin Village is as erudite as I'm capable of being.
Thanks for the knowledge 👍
I am collecting a collection of modern Ukrainian history textbooks, incredibly fantastic, interesting stories about how the Ukrainians dug up the Black Sea
@@jhngfdsdfgkjnbvpooter's ridiculous speeches are not to be mindlessly regurgitated.
You've obviously obtained your 'knowledge' from your bunker-dwelling supreme commander's fairy tales.
Great interview as always. All support to Ukraine please! They are fighting for our freedom too. RuSSian communism and imperialism is the worst thing this planet ever had. Everybody know this painfully well West of Berlin. Slava Ukraine from Hungary, yes from Hungary. Glory to the heroes of Ukraine. 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
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Great interview, as always.
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I wasn't paying attention until I saw two Ruz armored vehicles in Bucca fire on a 52yr old woman on a bicycle trying to get home. Iryna Filkyna was her name. Now I'm going through Timothy Snyder's free online Yale course on Ukrainian history. Amazing, inspiring people and history. 🤝🇺🇦
Hello Jonathan, Once again, another well done interview! Thank you Jonathan, crew, and Maksym!
Great subject matter. Russia's behaviour, culture, and governance, are straight out of medieval times. We spend a lot of time trying to understand Russia, but by the standards of the medieval era they are quite normal.
I so appreciate you, your guests, and all I’m enlightened to. Your Ukrainian guest this evening I’m viewing a second time. Thank you ❤
great work. Hi frim Latvija :)
I watch your interviews often and support (you and other civilized voices) via Patreon. Thank you for your work.
Wow, what an excellent interview. So much of this is new to me, and I am happy to know about all these famous Ukranians.
👍
When visiting Prague, I visited a museum that showed the religious objects taken from Jews. Hitler wanted to destroy religious books and everything that represented the Jewish people. He wanted them to be a people that just ekisted in the far past as a historical object. Putin is doing the same stratgi in Ukraine.
...and this is a serious comment?
Thank you again for your persistent effort to educate people about russian history of genocide. Some of us cry when we watch the news but others will only cry in the future when a movie is made about the destruction of ukraine.
Thank you so much for this amazing interview.
That interviewee stated at one time that Russians(Muscovites) have, or had, some sense of superiority, cultural or whatever in their thinking in regards to everyone else. Well, it seems, unfortunately, whether or not they think that way, their present deeds, and many, many past deeds, paint them in a negative light, even coniderably more so than many other nations. If one digs up the histories of the 20th century getting past propaganda, earlier centuries, and their present invasive activities.
Hello, i'm a new follower to your page. Really interesting interview. Australia is very far away from Europe, Ukraine & Russia but i'm striving to educate myself as I support Ukraine. Thank you for such an interesting & eye opening conversation.
Great conversation!
Sterling work as always, Jonathon. 👍
Thanks for all your wonderful work 👏
Jonathan thank you! I have been listening to many podcasts about this abominable war, and this finally pulled all of the pieces together and has given me a deeper understanding of why this has happened and why this is such a threat beyond the Ukrainian borders.
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I agree, this conversation was such a revelation for me too.
Great interview.
Thanks folks
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Love your channel! You are doing great work and having on wonderful guests. Thank you 🙏🇺🇦💪
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Totally agree with the heading for this video. It’s not just Africa Johnathon. Australia was considered Terra Nullius until a short few decades ago. Colonisation is extremely damaging to indigenous people. All we can say is that 2 centuries ago people did feel superior to the indigenous people whose lands they colonised and saw no reason to respect the cultures they tried valiantly to destroy. And this is a loss for both sides.
But this was 2 centuries ago. To be attempting to do that now gives credence to the notion that as some former Soviets say, Russia is a backward country, which I attribute to the Bolshevik revolution and the iron curtain and the fact that after the fall of communism it never had its Nazi Germany moment where it was forced to confront its own evil.
Here’s a quote from Solzhenitsyn:
“Why was Germany allowed to prosecute its evil doers and Russia is not.
(86,000 prosecutions would be 250,000 in Russia.)
What kind of disastrous path lies ahead of us if we do not have the chance to purge ourselves of that putrefaction rotting inside our body? What then can Russia teach the world?”
Very good.
It is not unusual to hear “Georgia was once a colony of Russian Empire”.
Yet, the most popular perception of colonization is associated with imagery of Spanish conquistadors in Americas, or European colonial powers in Africa and Asia. Technologically more advanced nations, bringing oppression, but also a technological progress to technologically less developed aboriginal peoples.
Let’s take a look at Russo-Georgian story in this respect.
Before 1795 devastating war with Iran, the Eastern Georgian kingdom of Heraclius II had coal mines, iron and lead ore mines, smelters, factories producing anything from cannons to bullets, soap, glass, textiles, and so on. It was a kingdom with central government, printing presses, taxation, roads, schools, and so on. A typical small European kingdom of the era.
Its last act took place on Sept 11, 1795. Coincidentally, our “9/11”. Iranian Shah demanded that Heraclius II broke his alliance with Russians. King Heraclius II was naïve enough not to break his allegiance to empress Catherine “the Great”, and was arrogant enough to think that his 5 thousand-strong army could stop 40 thousand Iranians, - in case the Russians did not honor their obligation to join the fight. As they already did several times since the fateful 1773 Russo-Georgian treaty, which made Georgia a Russian ally in the Caucasus region, and enraged Ottoman and Persian empires, triggering the series of their invasions that devastated Eastern Georgian kingdom. With Russians mostly standing by and watching Georgia to bleed because of its allegiance to Russia, instead of joining the fight as their treaty stipulated. During one of such invasions, Russians even tried to take Tbilisi while Heraclius was fighting off Ottomans!
In 1801 the Russian empire annexed the exhausted Eastern Georgian kingdom, which it betrayed several times since 1773 Russo-Georgian treaty.
But this was not really a colonization, but an occupation of a small, sufficiently developed European kingdom that lasted 117 years. In fact, during first decades of occupation, already after annexation of Georgian kingdom, Russian textile manufacturers demanded to levy duties on thriving Georgian textile exports to Russia. Later Georgia was one of the industrial centers within Russian empire. Nominally sovereign Socialist Republic of Georgia was later on one of the most entrepreneurial republics in the USSR, the closest to a free market economy possible under Communist ideology. During third of a century of our full independence to-date, Georgia’s economy survived thanks to its historic entrepreneurial DNA featuring flexibility and adaptability throughout centuries. A versatile banking sector, tourism industry, other service-oriented industries, export-import hubs, manufacturing sector ranging from metallurgy to production of small private jets, or infantry fighting vehicles, many JVs, are a testament to its inherent vitality.
Cherry on the top, to nip the ridiculous “colony” misnomer in the bud: almost half of its history the USSR was run by Georgian “expat management team”. Led by its very creator and a veritable monster, comrade Stalin. And even though during the Soviet Union era Georgia was not a fully independent country, it had nonetheless a status of a sovereign republic, with own constitution, justice system, own official state language used in all government institutions, factories, schools, universities, and so on. Growing up in Tbilisi during this time, I watched Georgian cartoons, movies, TV programs, listened to Georgian music bands, read books and journals in Georgian. Russian movies or pop music were very little known (at least, to me), because very few could possibly compete with Georgian cinematography, literature, and music, which were much more attuned to our preferences and were more to our liking. When serving in Soviet army, Russians were surprised that I only knew one Russian pop song (Arlequine) and one Russian cartoon (“Nu pogody”, largely an adaptation of “Tom and Jerry”, which made it competitive enough compared to Disney-styled Georgian cartoons and animated musicals).
The ways of historical providence are mysterious. Today, the neo-Mongol empire of Russian Federation is fighting its last major war. Why “neo”? Well, because it succeeded Mongols and Crimean Tatars who ruled ethnically Ugor Muscovites for half a millennia, after Kyivan Rus Slavicized them lingually (but not culturally), and all the way through Golden Horde and Crimean Khanate who imprinted their DNA on them culturally, and finally to their independence under Peter I who masterfully rebranded largely unpopular in Europe Muscovy to “Russia”. It was done to better hide its true essence: ethnic Ugors (except for Slav Novgorod conquered by them), who spoke Slavic language, and whose national character was shaped by Mongols and Tatars.
Even if this war continues for many years, even if it ends in a stalemate, it is clear that “Russia” will never return to what it once was. And all its dark secrets and obscene lies of glory and greatness are doomed to evaporate when exposed to sunlight. The current and future generations already know and will know even better that most of technological achievements of Russian empire came from Europe, while Soviet Union’s space program stemmed from German rocket program (first man-made object in space was launched by Germany in 1944), with further rocket modifications led by Ukrainians Glushko and Korolev, based on Soviet industrial base built under Georgian Stalin, and with nuclear bomb program led by another Georgian Beria.
What always makes me smile is the set of cultic beliefs taught in Soviet schools about “younger” brothers (Georgia, Ukraine, Baltics, etc.) looking up to their “elder” brother Russia. And this web of cultic lies is the main reason why a realization of their true history and real place in the world is so painful for most Muscovites today. The truth that will set them free is still ahead of them, to be first learned, and then accepted. If they want to close this page and open the new one, of course. Otherwise they will remain stuck in their past web of deception, like a mosquito in amber.
Thank you for telling it precisely like it is.
I think we should also consider that, just as in Tzarist times, a lot of the allusions to Russian greatness, uniqueness, and special mission is a necessary confection to keep a small group of people in power. The aristocracy in Tzarist Russia, the Communist oligarchy in the Soviet era, and now Putin's cadre of kleptocrats and the "silovaki" with their security apparatus. It is an appealing confection of fact and fiction, crafted together to keep Putin and his "elites" in power.
Thank you both for the discussion. Have a wonderful holiday!
Outstanding interview, thank you both so much ❤️
As always, a very interesting look at the Russian/Ukrainian conflict. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 ❤ 🇬🇧
No, Western Colonialism was absolutely not the same. Western Colonial powers repeatedly put market dominating minorities in positions of power to serve their interests. This is a very specific social mechanism which is not part of the Russian or Soviet empires at all. It is also much more about value maximization than minimizing the cost of keeping colonies.
That's the way Russians of Putin's brand reason about their nation's grandiose history. Western European nations and the Russian Empire shared - and differed in motivations and methods for colonizing other parts of the world.
_Western European motivations for colonization_
* _Economic:_ Western European nations were motivated by the desire to acquire new resources and markets. They sought to expand their trade networks and control the production of valuable goods such as spices, gold, and timber.
* _Religious:_ Many Western European nations believed to have a moral obligation to spread Christianity to other parts of the world. They saw colonization as a way to spread their faith and "civilize" non-Christian peoples.
* _Political:_ Colonization is/was also a way for Western European nations to assert their power and influence on the world stage. They sought to create empires that would rival those of their rivals, such as the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.
_Russian motivations for colonization_
* _Security:_ Russia was/is motivated by the desire to secure its borders and expand its territory. It sought/seeks to gain control of strategic waterways, such as the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and to acquire land for agriculture and settlement, such as Ukraine.
* _Nationalism:_ Russian nationalism was/is also a driving force behind colonization. The Russian Empire saw/sees itself as a great power, and it sought/seeks to expand its influence and power to match its perceived status.
* _Resource extraction:_ Russia also sought/seeks to exploit the resources of its colonies. It extracted/extracts minerals, timber, and other valuable resources from its territories.
_Key differences between Western European and Russian motivations for colonization_
* _Economic focus:_ Western European nations were more focused on economic gain, while Russia was/is more motivated by security and national prestige.
* _Religious zeal:_ Western European colonization was often driven by a strong sense of religious zeal, while in the past Russian colonization was not as religiously motivated.
* _Methodology:_ Western European nations typically used more indirect methods of colonization, such as establishing trading posts and establishing informal spheres of influence. Russian colonization was/is often more direct, with the Russian Empire directly administering its colonies.
In conclusion, Western European and Russian motivations for colonization were both complex and multifaceted. While there were some similarities between the two, there were also significant differences. These differences shaped the nature of colonization in different parts of the world, and sadly they continue to as we can witness today.
One can point out a number of occasions in which the British Government specifically attempted to limit the degree to which colonists could exploit natives and their land.
North America, Australia and South Africa all saw attempts to limit colonial expansion, and the ban on slavery should not be ignored.
The early Governors of Australian colonies were explicitly instructed to deal peacably with and respectbthe rights of Aboriginal Australians. They were acknowledged to have all of the normal, Common-Law protections of British subjects in the 1830s, and were legally entitled to vote in three colonies by the end of the 1850s.
That is not to deny that bad things happened, but that is better understood as the clash of incompatible cultures than as the result of deliberate policy on the part of the British government .
@@peterwebb8732 Wrong, a particularly stark example being the British ruling Sri Lanka through the Tamil minority, a political arrangement that later exploded terribly.
@@christianmolick8647You need to do your homework.
The British model was to govern through the pre-existing power structures, as longs those in power complied with certain basic rules. It was considered far more efficient to use pre-existing hierarchise in a cooperative fashion because the British had very few people in the colonies… certainly not enough to rule and entirely hostile population.
The Tamils were in the majority over parts of Ceylon, were over-represented in the trading and mercantile classes, and their cultural attitude toward education made them a better fit for positions in the new colonial Civil Service. It is not the case that the British administration made a choice to create an ethnic conflict where none previously existed.
Nor - even if it were true - would that make me “wrong” in my statement regarding the other colonies.
Like I said, do your homework.
Great Introduction!! Love this channel, there is a lot of wisdom that is share on this Vlog.
20:10 "Russian imperial innocence" - the description sounds like "The Russian Man's burden"...
I posted on my Facebook a video of Christmas in Mariupol before the invasion and then pictures or mariupol now. Perhaps you could do that too.
What a great conversation, thank you.
Thank you
Mein gott , demons in Russia's history? That's like let's point out decent caring women in Grimm's tales? LoL 😆😮
Thank you for the video, for giving us more info about the Ukrainian identity.
Thank you for this interview!
Jonathan, thanks for these incredible interviews. If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion that may help the less knowledgeable viewer: both of you spoke with of artists and writers whose names and works are unfamiliar to me. Perhaps there is a way to include information in your description that can lead to a fuller appreciation of your interviewee's position.
It's nothing new that other empires or even cultures in general purge other people to lay claim on those lands: it is an important reason why some cultures no longer exist. And it still happens today not only in Ukraine by Russia but also other places like Azerbaijan (against the Armenians) or in China (pretty much against anyone who isn't Han-Chinese). In Ukraine it is also a disturbing fact that the future of other cultures like the Krim Tatars really depends on the outcome of this war with already highly effective Russian propaganda that the Krim is Russian and too few actually know about the Krim Tatars. Perhaps in the case of Russia, this time they've been biting more than they can chew. Perhaps we can consider it a sort of retribution not just for the existing cultures within Russia's vicinity but also for those that the Russians did effectively erase from existence.
Brilliant, tough talking interview.
Thank you so much Jonathan
thanks for posting
Thank you for your work. Always praying for Ukraine.
If someday you decide to have a conversation about decolonisation, you should invite Mariam Naiem. She’s great on the topic.
13:20 that bit was very insightful
Love the video so far.
This was one of the best episodes yet. Thank you.
Top content.
Please mention your list of charities to help Ukraine each video. Your list is excellent.
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US Justice system is holding Trumps feet to the fire…
🙏👏🇺🇦👍🇺🇸❤️
Great video
"Everything is going according to plan."
-Saddam Putsein
Ive always thought moscovy had a lot of the golden hoard in it
Interesting insights no doubt! Recently read that in Ukraine was the earliest of European settlement 3,500 to 4,000 years ago and their diet was peas beans and grains and the village had longhouse type buildings .. maybe this diet spread to the west..off topic but...The Russian mythology leaves behind a new "shallow" culture..I would guess that the newer placed peoples would be lightly plagued with a little bad Karma until the reality of this movement is exposed ..as you have done here 👍👍
Does somebody know the central Asian tale that he was referring to? What is the title?
5:00 THE HUGE ERROR, NOT NOVGOROD CITY, BUT NOVGOROD REPUBLIC (BIGGEST EUROPEAN STATE IN 15c,) !
One does not have to go that far back in time when there is a more recent and perfectly historically accurate comparison…the ussr and communism.
we lived in a world where we thought we were close to connecting values, to common respect, even to safe that world commonly.
Gone.
Not only due to that demon empire topic here, but as well due to diverse kinds of fragmentations, demonizations of thereby occurring opponents and to supremacists ruthlessly trying to profit from all of that.
Now we have to pick sides.
His answers were such inclusive, that they made picking the right side even more self evident.
It can only be on blue and yellow.
Here starts where I think we know have to work on.
I doubt there are many that CAN choose but don't know what would be right to choice.
If they remain on the fringes, even supportive of the evil destructiveness, they should at least not any longer get that whataboutism accepted about of misbehaviors of "the west".
Such the world would never get out of that downward spiraling.
There IS recognition about the cultural thefts and genozides that happened.
But major perpetrators work to make repetition impossible, somehow find some common moral ground with the victims and return artifacts.
That is a difference to what RuZZia does.
And that allows to - on behalf of every single individual on the planet - demand and enforce compliance with the very basics of human existence, at least, more so frameworks like the UN charta.
Learning about all atrocities, crimes and aggressions is necessary - and even after all the time obviously by far not complete.
But the remaining decent part of the world has to invest much more in discussing how to prevail at first, then how to proceed.
I am afraid we'll be dependent on Ukrainians to guide us with that.
They just have that experience, as topic here, ahead of us, just the reflections and conclusions out of that.
Luckily we so far can rely on them.
Unconditioned support with actually some real sacrifice should keep it that way.
Appreciate you ✌
Very interesting - but an improvement to the sound quality would have made for easier listening.
Just tried to buy Mr. Eristavi's book. $25 for shipping in Europe. Almost twice as much as the cost of the book. No thanks. That is just utterly ridiculous.
Thanks 👍😊
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What gave rise to this Russian chauvinism that their culture is superior to all others? Did it have anything to do with the Mongol yoke that existed for centuries? Also, I find it very enlightening that Russian writers like Tolstoy, Dostoyevskyi, et al, were actually instrumental in spreading the epic myth of Russian cultural superiority.
To be just, Tolstoy of war and peace yes worked for this myth. But old Tolstoy grew skeptical of the matter. E.g. look at his later novel Hadji Murat. His expulsion from the russian church was to a great extent caused by his skepticism of russia which was viewed as treachery, not by his religious skepticism which never was a problem for those hypocrites.
BTW quite the opposite is to be said of Dostoyevsky: that guy grew a real predecessor of russism - the russian fascism. Which reveals a lot of the mechanics of russian 'superiority' because few people knew russian barbarism better than he.
@@sergiystoyan899 Your remarks about the Russian Orthodox Church re Tolstoy in the early days of the 20th Century suggests that the Church has always pretty much been an organ of the State to the present day. True?
@jamesrussell7760 Yes, that's right. Such a disposition officially began with Peter 1 who established the Most Holy Synod -- the state department that ruled over the russian church until 1917.
Yes, you got that right. Russian emperialistic mentality has a lot to do with the Mongol yoke. In other words, Russians have inherited mongol emperialistic mentality. As Russians chased Mongols, Tsardom of Muscovy (at that time, it was called Tsardom of Muscovy. Peter the Great changed name into the Russian Empire in 1721) expended new territories. Also, remember that by that time European empires were weak, so Russians got an appetite for the power. They understand power when they annex new lands, but not thinking about a proper education and economic development.
Luv Silicon Curtain