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The Slavic Connexion

News & Politics Podcasts

A fresh international chat show from the University of Texas at Austin meant to share research, ideas, and culture from the Slavic world and beyond in digestible episodes. Each week we feature faculty, students (both undergraduate and graduate), and speakers of note from other institutions and countries. The Slavic Connexion is a graduate student production of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies within the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin... It's not typical Texas, y'all.

A fresh international chat show from the University of Texas at Austin meant to share research, ideas, and culture from the Slavic world and beyond in digestible episodes. Each week we feature faculty, students (both undergraduate and graduate), and speakers of note from other institutions and countries. The Slavic Connexion is a graduate student production of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies within the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin... It's not typical Texas, y'all.

Location:

AUSTIN, TX

Description:

A fresh international chat show from the University of Texas at Austin meant to share research, ideas, and culture from the Slavic world and beyond in digestible episodes. Each week we feature faculty, students (both undergraduate and graduate), and speakers of note from other institutions and countries. The Slavic Connexion is a graduate student production of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies within the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin... It's not typical Texas, y'all.

Twitter:

@SlavXRadio

Language:

English

Contact:

5129878264

Episodes

Russia's Mercurial Role in Southeast Europe (with Dimitar Bechev)

1/11/2021
Samantha chats with Dr. Dimitar Bechev on the geopolitics of the Balkans and the stratagems of Russia in the region. Dr. Bechev also discusses Russia's relationship with Turkey and Turkey's ties with the US and how these affect the countries nested in the Balkans which have fallen out of US foreign policy priority since the George W. Bush administration. ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2283-dimitar-bechev_160313_171008.jpg Dimitar Bechev is the director of the...

Duration:00:28:04

"Mixed Messages": The Survival of the Buryat Language with Kathryn Graber

1/5/2021
Амар мэндээ or hello and Happy New Year! Dr. Kathryn Graber of Indiana University Bloomington joins the show to talk about her research on the Buryat language and minority-language media in Russia’s Buryat territories, a multilingual region of eastern Siberia on the Mongolian border. Her fifteen years of research in this area is the foundation of her new book, Mixed Messages: Mediating Native Belonging in Asian Russia. Enjoy! Ехэ баярлаа! ABOUT THE GUEST Kathryn Graber, PhD, is a linguist,...

Duration:00:34:59

"How to Lose the Information War" with Nina Jankowicz (Wilson Center)

12/9/2020
In this episode, Matt and Tom talked to Nina Jankowicz of the Wilson Center about her new book, How to Lose the Information War, and how it serves as a useful primer for understanding the disinformation challenges facing the US today, particularly in the aftermath of the 2020 election. To read some of Nina's work, click the links below and do be sure to follow her on Twitter @wiczipedia . Thank you for listening!...

Duration:00:39:33

From the Russian Far East to the American West with Matthew Luxmoore (RFE/RL)

12/1/2020
On this special episode, Zack speaks with English journalist Matthew Luxmoore. Matthew is the Moscow Correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Politico, and elsewhere. Zach and Matthew discuss a wide-range of issues, from the Russian Far East to the current state of the Russian opposition movement, to environmental concerns and other current affairs of the day. We hope you enjoy! ABOUT OUR GUEST...

Duration:00:33:02

"Writing Resistance": An Inside Look at Russian Carceral Literature with Sarah J. Young

11/24/2020
In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Sarah Young of University College London about her upcoming book "Writing Resistance: Revolutionary Memoirs of Shlissel’burg Prison, 1884-1906" and the genre of carceral literature. Where do Russian literary titans like Dostoevsky and Shalamov fit in and how are they perceived in the Russian imagination? Dr. Young also speaks about the uses and importance of spatially mapping historic and literary events and why she undertook such mapping projects in the...

Duration:00:32:53

Russian Meme Culture, "Shirtless Putin", and Pussy Riot with Eliot Borenstein

11/16/2020
On this fun episode, Dr. Eliot Borenstein from NYU joins us to talk about his research on memes and meme culture in Russia as well as his freshly-released book on Pussy Riot (available from Bloomsbury). This was a great time all around, and even if you don't consume memes or like them very much, this is still an enjoyable discussion. Thanks for joining us! ABOUT THE GUEST: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/668226829162029057/zPPxzpej_400x400.jpg Eliot Borenstein is a Professor of Russian...

Duration:00:42:14

On Russia's War in Syria with Colonel (ret.) Robert Hamilton

11/9/2020
From the Foreign Policy Research Institute comes a fantastic, dispassionate resource on Russia's intervention into Syria. Here to speak with us about the book and the process of compiling this insightful tome written by both American and Russian experts is Associate professor of Eurasian Studies at the US Army War College Robert E. Hamilton. Enjoy! Please do check out and download the book here:...

Duration:00:44:38

The Eurasia Downbeat with Alex Kokcharov

11/4/2020
On this whirlwind episode, Tom visits with London-based journalist and risk research analyst Alex Kokcharov on an impressive array of events and current conflicts across the CIS region. This is hardly a boring episode and we don't sit on one topic for too long, so if you're looking for a quick, but in-depth Eurasia fix (while we in the US patiently, calmly wait on those election results), look no further! And as always, thanks for listening. NOTE: This episode was recorded on October 12th,...

Duration:00:35:18

"Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans" with Jasmin Mujanovic

10/25/2020
Dr. Jasmin Mujanović, a political scientist focused on democratization and social movements in the Western Balkans and a host of the podcast "Sarajevo Calling", joins Samantha and Cullan for an in-depth discussion on the state of democracy in the region in 2020. This is a great walkthrough of the elite maneuvering and politics in the Western Balkans and which nuclear powers hold sway and influence in the region. We hope you enjoy! ABOUT THE GUEST...

Duration:00:51:58

"Dance of Compromise": Putin's Russia, Disinformation, and the Wily Man with Joshua Yaffa

10/19/2020
The New Yorker's Moscow correspondent, Joshua Yaffa, joins us from Moscow in fact to talk about the conditions in Russia during the pandemic, his latest book Between Two Fires, and the oft-debated Russian interference in US elections. Additionally, Yuri Levada's work and coining of the term "Wily Man" figures prominently into this discussion having played a role in Yaffa's attempt to understand the characters he sought to portray in his book. This is a fascinating conversation, and we hope...

Duration:00:35:09

Kyrgyzstan's Uphill Battle for Democracy with Nazgul Kulova

10/16/2020
On this episode, we discuss the ongoing political crisis in Kyrgyzstan, resulting from the disputed October 4th elections, with Nazgul Kulova, a resident of Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan) and a policy analyst in the mining sector. As a former government official at the State Agency for Mineral Resources, she has worked with various international organizations and is thus a valuable inside resource. Nazgul talks with Matt about Kyrgyzstan's tumultuous political history, the motivations...

Duration:00:41:27

"Lukashenko Has No Future" with David Marples

10/11/2020
We're back to Belarus with this episode, but this time we take an in-depth look at the still-thrumming situation from the dictator's perspective with one of the foremost experts on the region, Dr. David Marples. Dr. Marples talks about the potential end of the dictator while rounding out the context for the current revolution, allowing us to see just how and why Alexander Lukashenko came into power. Follow Dr. Marples on Twitter @drmarples. ABOUT THE GUEST...

Duration:00:47:37

Siberian Overtones: Stories and Songs from Tuva with Dr. Susan Crate

10/6/2020
Dr. Susan Crate returns to the show to share her 1990 journey to Tuva, the geographic center of Asia. At this time, Tuva had only recently opened up to foreign travelers and the oblast (region) experienced heavy upheaval across the domains of the former Soviet Union. This moment also proved to be a turning point for the revitalization of lost or hidden cultural traditions, and many Tuvans openly displayed their heritage, wearing their garments and exhibiting their practices. Dr. Crate spent...

Duration:00:32:57

Living in a Post-Truth World: How Did We Get Here?

10/3/2020
Admittedly, this is not a very Slavic episode, but we would like to balance the scales a little bit and discuss the existential crisis America is facing as well as we approach the 2020 presidential election. A New York Times article a few days ago said that though the United States makes up only 4% of the world's population, our Covid deaths account for 20% of the global totals. We're no math geniuses, but it looks like the U.S. has become Corona Country. So, what happened? Maybe you're...

Duration:00:38:06

The Greater (Dysfunctional) Western Family with Leonid Ragozin

9/29/2020
On this episode, former BBC journalist Leonid Ragozin joins Tom from Latvia to discuss the perception of Russia in the West, the origins of Western xenophobia towards Russia, his view of Vladimir Putin in 2000, and his experience working as an independent journalist on the investigations of high profile figures murdered in Ukraine. We hope you enjoy! ABOUT THE GUEST Leonid is a Russian journalist who worked for 12 years with the BBC in Moscow. He is a widely acknowledged expert on the...

Duration:00:36:00

Post-Election Passivity and the Poisonous Politics of Petrostates with Maria Snegovaya

9/24/2020
In this episode, Matt discussed with Dr. Maria Snegovaya the leading issues of the day in the Slavic region. Namely, the aftermath of Russia's recent regional elections, the Kremlin's response to Alexei Navalny's poisoning, and the ongoing spectre of Russian intervention in Belarus's post-election crisis. Connect with Dr. Snegovaya on Twitter: @MSnegovaya UPDATE (9-30-2020) View Dr. Snegovaya's research with CEPA here:...

Duration:00:47:49

The Hidden Green Men with Kiril Avramov

9/20/2020
Bulgaria, Belarus, books—oh my! In this exciting episode hosted by Matt and newbie host Katherine, Assistant Professor Kiril Avramov the University of Texas at Austin sits down to discuss his new book, “Russia’s Hidden Armies,” the recent detainment of Russian mercenaries in Belarus, and the anti-corruption protests currently raging within Bulgaria. Tune in for an episode filled to the brim with shocking details over Post-Communist Bulgaria and secret armies! For more on the Wagner...

Duration:00:53:02

The Second Libyan Civil War and the Russia Connexion with Mohamed Abufalgha

9/11/2020
Tom and Matt have the great opportunity to speak with Libyan national Mohamed Abufalgha and expert on the conflict that has been going on for several years now in this oil-rich, war-torn country. Mohamed helps us unpack the Russian-Libyan connection and exactly how many countries have their fingers--and fighters--in Libya. We hope you enjoy! For some basic information about the conflict in Libya, here are some great resources including Mohamed's own site in which he blogs about the conflict....

Duration:00:37:22

"Rival Power: Russia's Challenge to the West in the Balkans" with Dimitar Bechev (BALKAN CIRCLE series)

9/7/2020
The Balkan Circle is a weekly seminar (during the academic year) which features lectures, presentations, exhibits, or open interactive dialogues that focus on any (and all) aspects of historical, political, economic, social and cultural phenomena in the (so-called) Balkans. The seminar is free and open to the public and will be held every Friday from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm online. Visit https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/slavic/events/balkan-circle.php for more information. ABOUT THE BALKAN CIRCLE...

Duration:00:33:53

The Białowieża Forest and "Pompik the Bison" with Tomasz Samojlik

9/4/2020
Our guest today is Dr. Tomasz Samojlik, an environmental historian and researcher at the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża. His research focuses on Poland's Białowieża Primeval Forest, one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe. In addition to his research, Dr. Samojlik spoke with us about his work popularising science and scientific knowledge using books, comics and graphic novels for children. In his own words, "My aim is to instill the...

Duration:00:42:27

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