Ukraine-themed podcasts
Lately, Ukraine has been in the headlines every day in the Western world, many of the stories focusing on Donald Trump’s impeachment hearings, and others reporting from the front lines in Ukraine. (Read this article by journalist Christopher Miller: “Dying For Help.”)
If you’re looking for a bit more insight into Ukraine, below are some podcasts to help get you started. This is not an extensive list, nor will you become any kind of an expert on Ukraine after listening to these podcasts, but if you would like to learn a bit more about the country, these are some that I’ve listened to that I’ve found informative.
Lviv, 2018
Podcasts
The Bellingcat Podcast
Bellingcat, the investigative journalism website, released its podcast this summer about Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 that was shot down five years ago by a Buk missile and crashed in Eastern Ukraine. All 298 people aboard died. It's a devastating story with many questions left unanswered, which is what this podcast intends to address. Click here to listen to the first episode.
The Chernobyl Podcast
Have you watched the miniseries about Chornobyl yet? (Chornobyl is the Ukrainian spelling of the city.) HBO released the five-episode series in May. On a podcast about the show, Craig Mazin, the miniseries creator, writer, and executive producer, joins Peter Sagal to discuss the making of the show.
I highly recommend listening to this podcast after watching the corresponding episode of the miniseries. (There's a podcast episode for each miniseries episode.) Not only do the hosts discuss what went into creating the show, but they also clarify what parts of the story were changed for the show. For example, there's a character on the show who doesn't portray one person in the true Chornobyl events, but rather represents multiple people in the story, and if you only watched the show, you wouldn't know this until the end of the final episode. Click here to listen to the podcast.
The Documentary Podcast by the BBC World Service
This podcasts looks into international developments, issues, and affairs. Some episodes share stories from Ukraine, like “Unrest in Ukraine’s Little Hungary” and “Dying from mistrust in Ukraine.”
What got me onto this podcast is The Superlinguists series, which is pretty inspirational to anyone wanting to learn another language. Listen to the first episode of the series here.
Free Ukraine
Free Ukraine is a new podcast, released in October, hosted by Elina Alem. Listen to this episode about the mental health crisis in Ukraine, featuring an interview with Paul Niland, the founder of Lifeline Ukraine, a suicide prevention and mental health support helpline.
Myths and Legends
For a more fun podcast with Ukraine themes, check out the Myths and Legends podcast. Though so many folklore stories are incredibly dark, the host Jason Weiser shares these tales in an entertaining and funny way. I haven’t come across any episodes specifically related to Ukrainian folklore, but some of the episodes cover Slavic folklore in general, plus you’ll hear crossovers from familiar Ukrainian tales in the episodes about Russian folklore.
To hear a couple stories about Baba Yaga, listen to episode 16 and episode 43. Another one I loved is episode 85a and 85b, described as “the story of a sleazy dwarf, a helpful horse, and all-you-can-eat cake.”
Rough Translation
“How are the things we’re talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world?”
That’s the focus of Rough Translation, hosted by Gregory Warner. In 2017, one episode discussed fake news in Ukraine and what the United States could learn from Ukraine’s fight against this. This episode got me hooked on the rest of the podcast, which focuses on stories from around the world.
And just this week, Rough Translation released part one of two of a new episode about Ukraine, aiming to give more insight into the country on the other side of the impeachment hearings.
Ukrainian Lessons
Want to work on your Ukrainian language skills? Check out Ukrainian Lessons podcast, which as of today has 136 episodes, with new episodes released weekly. If you’re brand new to Ukrainian, or need to review basics, start with episode 1, then work your way up.
Each episode generally starts with a short exchange between a couple people, then the host, Anna, goes through key phrases/grammar rules/ideas from that convo. There are some in-podcast exercises to do, then at the end, Anna gives some kind of fun fact about Ukraine, helping you learn about the culture too.
The Ukrainian Lessons website also has lots of great study resources.
And while we’re on the topic of Ukrainian language, here’s a refresher on how to say Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv: https://twitter.com/wiczipedia/status/1194686620097826821
Ukraine-Themed Books
Last year, I wrote a post about some of my favourite Ukraine-themed books and movies, and some people added their own recommendations in the comments.
So far, from those recommended reads, I’ve read Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich (non-fiction), first-hand accounts of the nuclear disaster in Chornobyl, and When Sorrows Come by Maria Dziedzan (fiction), about a young woman’s family in Ukraine torn apart during the Second World War.
Another to add to your nightstand is The Sky Unwashed by Irene Zabytko, which is a historical fiction novel based on Chornobyl. I read it right after Voices of Chernobyl, which features interviews with Chornobyl survivors, making The Sky Unwashed even more powerful.
Have any Ukraine-themed podcasts, books, or films to recommend? Comment below or send me an email.