Thinking in Dark Times

In this podcast episode, I explore how wartime technologies can impact peaceful life, drawing parallels from historical conflicts. Author: Volodymyr Yermalenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor in chief of UkraineWorld, president of PEN UkraineSupport this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thinkingggI use the example of the Rhodes piano, which originated from technologies developed during World War II, to illustrate how tragedy can spur innovation. I also discuss how World War I and II accelerated developments in radio, television, medicine, automobiles, and aviation, which later transformed civilian life. Computer technology is also highlighted as a byproduct of WWII.I also analyze the current Russo-Ukrainian war, emphasizing the significant role of drone technology. I also note how drones are changing warfare and making previously safe areas vulnerable. I analyze how these technologies, including advanced robotics, AI-equipped drones, and satellite technology, could shape post-war society, potentially leading to advancements like drone-based delivery services and autonomous vehicles. The episode concludes by stressing that while war is a tragedy, it is also a powerful driver of technological advancement that will inevitably influence future peaceful lives.

What can the deep past of Ukrainian lands reveal about the global story of humanity? Six thousand years ago, "mega-sites" flourished in what is now central Ukraine—but can these be considered the world’s first cities? How were they organized without central authorities, and how do they challenge everything we thought we knew about early social life?***This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine.Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.Guest: David Wengrow, a renowned British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London. He is the co-author, alongside David Graeber, of the international bestseller "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity".***Thinking in Dark Times is produced by UkraineWorld and brought to you by Internews Ukraine. It is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO.***SUPPORT:You can support our work onhttps://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour 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.***CONTENTS:00:00 - Intro. What can the deep past of Ukraine reveal about the global story of humanity?00:14 - Were the world’s first cities actually built in what is now Ukraine?02:51 - Why does the Ukrainian soil play a key role in rethinking the origins of cities and states?03:55 - Why are standard narratives of human history fundamentally wrong?09:15 - What were the Cucuteni-Trypillia megasites?17:23 - Why does the existence of egalitarian cities overturn political history itself?20:35 - What does a circular city say about how people imagined the world?21:27 - How did thousands of people govern themselves without rulers?26:36 - Did democracy exist thousands of years before ancient Greece?28:29 - Were Hobbes and Rousseau both wrong about human nature?42:29 - Is Ukrainian history shaped by a tension between freedom and vulnerability?47:22 - What do burning rituals reveal about cyclical views of life and nature?50:51 - Why does Ukraine’s past matter for the future of humanity?

She is not only a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is not only one of the most visible human-rights defenders in Europe in recent decades. She is not only a tireless activist with profound empathy for others. She is also a thinker — someone who reflects deeply on the moral foundations of freedom and dignity. Our guest today is Oleksandra Matviychuk, a prominent Ukrainian human-rights defender and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.In this episode, we discuss the moral ideas that hold Ukrainian society together.***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.***CONTENTS:00:00 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk: On Freedom, Dignity, and War02:24 "Not Nobel Peace Prize changed my life - the large-scale war has changed my life" 08:32 Torture, rape, enforced disappearances, filtration camps — the reality of Russian occupation11:55 Why are Ukrainians not "ideal victims"?15:57 The horror of Russian captivity: Ihor Kozlovskyi`s experience19:44 Why is freedom existential for Ukrainians?24:16 Ukrainian strength lies in the people's belief that their efforts matter31:38 Over 170,000 registered Russian war crimes in Ukraine32:18 Why is justice important now, not after the end of the war?35:41 Why is the Russian war against Ukraine genocidal?43:50 What gives Oleksandra Matviichuk hope today?***The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

In September 2025, in Kyiv, a prominent American historian Timothy Snyder received the Vasyl Stus Prize — a Ukrainian award honoring the name of Vasyl Stus, one of Ukraine’s greatest poets and dissidents of the 20th century, killed by the Soviet regime in 1985. Founded in 1989 by Yevhen Sverstiuk, another prominent Ukrainian dissident, the prize is now awarded by PEN Ukraine, the publishing house Dukh i Litera, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.Before the award ceremony, we held a public conversation with Snyder on the good and bad ways of thinking about history. Since interpretations of history often lie at the heart of both the good and the evil that people do, this question remains vitally important.***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.Thinking in Dark Times seeks to find the light through — and despite — today’s darkness. ***UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews UkraineListen to our podcasts:Explaining Ukraine: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraineThinking in Dark Times: https://li.sten.to/thinkinggg***Special thanks to the Ukrainian History Global Initiative, PEN Ukraine, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School for helping organize this event.This episode was made possible with the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine.***You can also listen to several other conversations with Timothy Snyder from previous years:On freedom: Timothy Snyder in Kyivhttps://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-344Timothy Snyder in Kharkiv: A conversation about freedomhttps://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-340Freedom as a value and a taskhttps://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-258Ukraine, the war, and the plurality of valueshttps://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-144 ***SUPPORT: You can support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggWe rely on crowdfunding to continue our work. You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, ukraine.resisting@gmail.com ***CONTENTS:00:00:00 Timothy Snyder, world-renowned historian00:03:04 What are the good and bad ways to use history to understand who we are?00:08:53 How does a 'single line' view of the past, like Putin's or Trump's, take away our freedom?00:25:18 Why recognizing the 'difference' of people in the past is a liberating act for us in the present?00:49:55 Is the world truly living in a 'post-history' era where conflict and tragedy are safely in the past?00:56:22 Does seeing a pattern in history mean the war is repeating, or is it a moment of new responsibility?01:03:35 Was the US response in March 2022 a failure because American leaders were stuck in 'memory' instead of 'history'?01:13:52 How does the power of data-driven tools force us to be careful about the human questions we ask?01:24:21 Was the printing press as disruptive to society as social media is today?

SUPPORT this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg ***Nationalism, for many people, is a bad word. They associate it with xenophobia, a sense of superiority, and exclusion. Many believe that nationalism inevitably leads to fascism or Nazism.In this episode, I want to challenge these views. Yes, nationalism can lead to dangerous practices, but it can also be something very different — because its roots are different. It grew out of the 19th-century discourse of democracy and republics, in opposition to tyranny and despotism. In this sense, nationalism has been much closer to liberalism and socialism than many people think. Like them, it can be moderate or radical.***This is a podcast “Thinking in Dark Times”. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I am a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine, and chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine. I am staying in Ukraine with my family during the war, continuing to teach at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and doing volunteer work to support Ukrainian resistance. The goal of this podcast is to see the light through and despite the current darkness. This podcast is not about Ukraine, but it is thinking from Ukraine and shaped by the Ukrainian experience. ***You can support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Please also check out our website, UkraineWorld.org, and our other podcast, Explaining Ukraine.This episode is produced in partnership with Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers.

What’s the difference between colonialism and imperialism? What types of colonialism can we identify — and which of them are playing out in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other countries?This conversation is not purely academic. It helps us better understand what’s happening today — and what might happen tomorrow. Russian colonial and imperial practices sometimes resemble those of other empires — but at other times, they differ significantly. Russia often masks its imperial violence with nationalist mythology. It’s important to reveal why that mythology is misleading — and dangerous.***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.Our guest today is Botakoz Kassymbekova, a renowned scholar of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is currently Professor of Eastern European History at the University of Zurich and specializes in Soviet history, Stalinism and post-Stalinism, and Russian imperial practices. She holds a PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin.***"Thinking in Dark Times" podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine.This episode is created in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, the country’s leading cultural diplomacy institution.***A quick reminder: you can SUPPORT our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour support is essential, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.You can also help us fund VOLUNTEER trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we support both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com***CONTENTS:00:00:00 — Intro: what is colonialism and imperialism, and why does it matter now?00:02:06 — Why Russia is an empire? What is the difference between colonialism and imperialism?00:04:32 — Russia’s colonial tactics00:07:44 — Why does Russia seek full control over Ukraine? Not just influence, but domination and assimilation.00:09:55 — Difference vs. sameness: how empires shape identities00:11:24 — Settler colonialism vs. extractive colonialism: what drives conquest?00:16:30 — Russia as a settler empire: back then and now00:18:22 — How Russia colonises its internal nations through assimilation and language suppression.00:20:50 — Censuses, schools and silent erasure: how Russian state mechanisms classify and erase non-Russian identities within its borders.00:23:00 — Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and the memory of famine00:25:30 — Why colonialism is about state power, not ethnicity, and why Ukrainians were tools, not masters, of the Russian colonialism elsewhere.00:27:42 — Soviet categorisation: Muslims vs. Europeans. How the USSR racialised and managed populations with a colonial gaze.00:32:04 — Why Russia criticises Western colonialism while mimicking it.00:34:57 — “Greatness” as the keyword of Russian imperial ideology. Territory as the imperial prestige00:40:15 — Russia's strategic aims: bullying Europe for superpower status.00:43:33 — Why the Soviet Union’s support for global decolonisation masked its own imperial domination.00:45:15 — “Friendship of peoples”: a Soviet colonial tactic in disguise00:50:10 — Nuclear tests, cotton fields, and poisoned generations: how Moscow exploited Central Asia00:53:20 — Health and autonomy: why so-called “Soviet development” often meant suffering, not progress.00:55:44 — Who decides? The colonial theft of political agency00:58:12 — Why many Western scholars failed to see Soviet colonialism and still don’t.00:59:21 — Final reflection: Ukraine’s struggle is part of a bigger story

Joseph Stiglitz is a world-renowned economist and thinker who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001.I met him in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in June 2025 during the inspiring Zeg Festival in which we both participated.In this podcast episode, we spoke about his latest book, "The Road to Freedom", published last year, and about how flawed ideas of freedom can ultimately undermine freedom itself. I also asked him what the world can do to stop Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine.This episode is also made in partnership with "Politeia", a Ukrainian NGO focusing on preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine.***You can support "Thinking in Dark Times" on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg). Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.***Contents:0:00:00 - Intro 0:02:24 - How does "The Road to Freedom" compare to Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" and Snyder's "The Road to Unfreedom"?0:02:45 - What are Stiglitz’s main criticisms of neoliberalism?0:08:09 - What's the core flaw in the concept of "limitless freedom"?0:17:33 - How is Russia undermining democracy?0:19:00 - What steps can Europe take with frozen Russian assets for Ukraine?0:20:46 - Why won't seizing Russian assets cause a capital crisis or violate rule of law?0:27:22 - How can good regulation foster beneficial innovation, not just exploitation?

We need a fresh perspective on propaganda. The old strategies for combating misinformation are no longer effective. Simply offering fact-checks isn’t enough—those ensnared by propaganda aren’t searching for facts. They’re searching for something deeper: identity, belonging, and meaning.This is the central argument of a new book by Peter Pomerantsev, a renowned scholar of propaganda and information warfare. "How to Win an Information War" tells the story of British journalist Sefton Delmer, who developed innovative techniques to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II. Peter explores Delmer’s legacy in hopes of uncovering lessons for today. Perhaps we, too, can learn something from both of them.Book: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/peter…81541774728/Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.***UkraineWorld is run by Internews Ukraine, one of the country’s leading media NGOs.You can support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg. Your support is crucial, as we increasingly rely on crowdfunding. Even a small monthly contribution can make a meaningful difference.You can also help fund our regular volunteer missions to Ukraine’s front-line areas, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians—primarily by providing vehicles for the military and books for local communities. To support these efforts, donations can be made via PayPal at ukraine.resisting@gmail.com.***The podcast episode is created by Internews Ukraine as part of the project “Strengthening Truth, Transparency and Democracy to Counter Disinformation”, supported by the Government of Canada.***CONTENTS:00:00:00 — What if fact-checks don’t work anymore?0:01:52 — He, who fooled Hitler. Meet Sefton Delmer00:05:28 — Why did we forget those who understand what propaganda is?00:07:05 — Why propaganda keeps coming back00:09:59 — Why did the Nazis win those who lost their identity?00:11:42 — Are you wearing the mask or is it glued to your face?00:13:57 — Think you're immune? That’s when propaganda hits00:16:29 — To beat propaganda, you have to be vulnerable to it00:18:55 — The real battle isn’t between freedom and unfreedom, but about what kind of “us” we build?00:22:50 — Delmer’s radio war00:25:53 — Weaponizing corruption: Delmer’s strategy to weaken Nazi loyalty00:30:41 — “We know you better than they do”00:33:28 — Tuning in = waking up: breaking the Nazi spell with masquerade00:35:38 — What makes Kremlin elites panic? Not war - but losing control00:39:39 — How to break Russian support for war?00:44:24 — Forget regime change - exploit fear of losing grip00:47:44 — Angry? Frustrated? That’s where good media begins00:50:02 — Do I want to die for this? The question Delmer planted in Nazi minds00:51:00 — Propaganda, trauma, and the fight for independent thought

SUPPORT "Thinking in Dark Times" podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg We had a conversation with Anne Applebaum a few months ago on this podcast about her book "Autocracy, Inc".—be sure to check it out: ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-332The current episode features a public conversation on similar themes: the crisis of democracy, the rise of new autocracies, Trump’s pro-Russian stance, and Russia’s war against Ukraine.It was recorded as a keynote discussion at the Lviv Media Forum—one of Ukraine’s major media events—in May 2025 (lvivmediaforum.com/en)We’re now publishing it as part of our Thinking in Dark Times series at UkraineWorld.Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and political analyst.Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine.SUPPORT "Thinking in Dark Times" podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg

Do dictators rule by death and nihilism? Do they want to make us powerless - and do they succeed? Is today’s crisis also our chance?This is an online conversation between Polish philosopher Krzysztof Czyzewski, American historian Marci Shore, Georgian writer Iva Pezuashvili, and Ukrainian philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko.The event was held under the aegis of the Dilemma project implemented by the Institute for Central European Strategy with the support of the European Commission"Thinking in Dark Times" is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet based in Kyiv. Author: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and writer. You can support "Thinking in Dark Times" podcast at patreon.com/thinkinggg

Which 20th-century ideas should we carry with us into the 21st century? And which of them have become obsolete?We discuss these topics during a live event with David Rieff, a prominent American writer and journalist. The discussion was held on March 1st at PEN Ukraine space in Kyiv, and was organized by UkraineWorld, PEN Ukraine and Thinking in Dark Times podcast.Hosts: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, the president of PEN Ukraine, and Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar, and author of the French-language podcast L’Ukraine face a la guerre by the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. Both are lecturers at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the oldest Ukrainian university.Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg

In this episode, I argue that a healthy polity is an equilibrium between the values of agora (conversation, dialogue, exchange) and the values of agon (warrior ethos, capacity to fight when needed). The absolutization of one of these values weakens the state and society. I also refer to classics of political philosophy and history, particularly the Greek historian Polybius and his account of the Roman Republic. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko, I am a Ukrainian philosopher and book writer, president of PEN Ukraine, and chief editor of UkraineWorld. Despite the ongoing war, I live in Ukraine and often visit frontline areas to help soldiers and civilians. Support my work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg

Many anticipated that the 21st century would perpetuate the trend of the previous century, moving steadily away from imperialistic and colonial practices. Yet, what if the coming decades herald a reversal, ushering in not fewer, but more empires? Imagine a future where liberal democracies are overshadowed, forced to defend their existence and fight for their survival, much like Ukraine's current struggle. This possibility warrants serious consideration.I am Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. Welcome to my podcast, "Thinking in Dark Times." To support this endeavor, please visit https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg