Ukrainian history is defined by struggles for power. It has been the battleground of empires, defined by foreign domination, especially in the 20th century, when Nazi and Stalinist forces sought to dominate and strangle the country for its resources. The parallels with today are stark. Jakub and Nastya hear from the Ukrainian historian and writer, Olesya Khromeychuk, to discuss what Ukraine’s fractious, complicated and significant history in the century before the fall of the Soviet Union can tell us about its modern identity and the reasons behind the war. Nastya also speaks to Alyona Zhuk, an evacuated Ukrainian tattoo artist and illustrator, about passing down history to the next generation.

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