About this episode

The episode explores the values defining Ukrainian society and the dynamics of trust and corruption, especially in the context of the ongoing war.

What values define Ukrainian society? How accurate is it to say that Ukrainians have high levels of horizontal trust—trust in one another—but low trust in public institutions? How should we understand power distance in Ukraine? Is corruption really as great a threat as it is often portrayed, or is its impact sometimes overstated? And how have these dynamics changed during the war? *** Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Maryna Starodubska, Kyiv-Mohyla Business School Adjunct Professor, cross-cultural interaction consultant, and author of the book "Understanding Ukrainians: Cross-Cultural Perspective" published in Ukrainian. Link: https://vivat.com.ua/product/yak-zrozumity-ukraintsiv-kroskulturnyi-pohliad/ Maryna is now preparing her new book, in English, called Ukraine Layer by Layer: Freedom and Friction in a Frontier Society. The book will be published by Ibidem Verlag in the series Ukrainian Voices in October 2026. Link: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/ukraine-layer-by-layer/9783838221175/ *** Listen…

More episodes of Explaining Ukraine

• What Are the Hidden Risks of a Ceasefire? We Asked Chatham House Experts · July 9, 2026 · 52 min
• Is the War Approaching a Turning Point? - with Tetyana Ogarkova · July 2, 2026 · 37 min

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