Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a powerful figure in Ukrainian history and an influence in European politics in the second half of the 1600's. His most controversial act was signing an agreement with the Russian Tsar, the consequences of which have reverberated into modern Ukraine. His legacy is also shadowed by Cossack actions against the Jews and t…

Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657) could have been a minor Cossack noble and a small footnote in Ukrainian history until some soap opera level drama shook his life and at the age of 50 he led an uprising that would shake the entire Eastern European political and military landscape. What were his motivations and why did the other Cossacks follow his lea…

In this interview with journalist and activist Julian Hayda, we discuss the Ukrainian funerary customs and traditions - those Ukrainians observe in Ukraine and abroad. We talk about how these customs evolved, what exactly do Ukrainians do during a funeral and the importance of certain songs and customs to soothe our grief. Photo Credit: ARMYINFORM …

Sviatoslav was the son of a warrior king and a smart queen who loved a good fight (or war) but not so much the actual ruling bit of being a ruler. He won great battles in the east and lost great battles in the west. Was the first "Slav" king that great? And why is his image now so complicated? Find out in this episode of Wandering the Edge! Faceboo…

The Revolution of Dignity began as the pro-EU Euromaidan protest in November 2013. It then transformed into a revolution that wanted to change Ukraine itself. It turned violent when the government that was elected on behalf of the people, turned on the people. This was also the beginning of this current Ukrainian-Russian war, with 2022 only being t…

Ivan Franko (1856-1916) is considered the third in Ukraine's literary pantheon. He was a poet, writer, social and literary critic, journalist, translator, economist, political activist, doctor of philosophy, ethnographer and staunch Ukrainian independentist. His work has been used by the Soviets to completely alter his historical influence but his …

Thousands of Ukrainians were imprisoned in the GULAG system of the Soviet Union. And many of them were involved in the numerous GULAG uprisings that sprang up after Stalin's death in 1953. This episode will look at 3 of them in particular: the Norilsk and Vorkuta Uprisings of 1953 and the Kengir Uprising of 1954. Why did the uprisings occur and how…

How much do you know about your family tree? Well, there are some Ukrainian families that can pinpoint where and from whom they came from. That is the case with the Shukhevych Family. This episode will look into the history of this famous family which includes a lot of priests, some legal scholars, musicians, political-cultural leaders and legendar…

Ukraine is known as Europe's breadbasket - primarily because of the type of soil that naturally occurs there. This episode looks at the history of the Ukrainian peasantry - a social class that is so inherently tied to the land it was seen as a dangerous element by none other than the dictator Josef Stalin. How important was the peasantry to Ukraini…

Ukraine declared independence from the USSR on 24 August 1991. But it took years of inter-Soviet disfunction and terror to finally thrust independence upon numerous countries. The fall of the Soviet Union also didn't happen in one day, it took years and began with the election of Gorbachev in 1985 and pushed forward by thousands of pro-independence…

The January 29-30, 1918 Batty of Kruty pitted young Ukrainian soldiers against a larger attacking Red Army. Ukraine only just declared independence and the youth of this nation sacrificed their lives to keep their government alive. Their sacrifice was immortalized, commemorated year after year in the Diaspora and silenced in the Soviet Union. Almos…

Who was Petro Sahaidachny and why is he considered, by some, to be Ukraine's greatest Hetman? Well, he was a 17th century Ukrainian political and military leader who commanded his Cossacks at sea using their unique "chaika" boats and led them to almost sack Moscow. He was a diplomat just as much as he was a scholar, but he was always an impressive …

The second part of episodes dedicated to sciency stuff! Who were some of the most influential Ukrainian scientists in the twentieth century? Well, some liked rocks, others like kidneys and hearts while still others were really into welding stuff. But one was a mysterious man, without whom, NASA wouldn't have gotten to the moon (even though he died …

Ukrainians are pretty smart - so smart we have scientists! The first world-renown scientist is Yuriy Drohobych - the once rector of the University of Bologna in the 15th century who was a philosopher, astronomer and medical doctor for the king of Poland! We also have two evolutionists - Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay (anthropologist and biologist who was…

In this episode, we talk to Nazar Volynets, a veteran of the 24th Assault Battalion ("Aidar") of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who was a reconnaissance platoon commander in 2014-2015. We discuss how he ended up in Ukraine in 2013, why he joined the war, what he saw on the front, the importance of the Battle of Ilovaisk and Debaltseve and why supportin…

What is the feast day of the Intercession of the Theotokos? How did a military defeat in far off Constantinople result in a religious feast day in Ukraine? And how did it evolve and influence Ukrainian religious celebrations and even statehood from medieval Kyivan-Rus to the Cossacks to the Second World War and present day? Find out in this latest …

Alexander Dovzhenko is Ukraine's greatest screenwriter, producer and director. Ukraine's film institute is named after him. He was a genius that was tormented by Soviet censorship, favoured and agonized by Stalin's whims and made some of Ukraine's best films. While Sergei Parajanov made Ukraine's greatest film: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. The A…

Ukraine has had a long history of embracing democratic institutions - beginning with the viche in medieval Kyivan-Rus, the Cossack rada that elected their leaders and the Central Rada that declared independence in 1918. In these modern times, we see the example of the Kyiv viche that supported and propelled the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014. W…

A look at the theatric history of the Ukrainian stage: Marko Kropyvnytskyi as Ukraine's greatest directors, playwrights and actors who played more than 500 characters and worked to promote and popularize the Ukrainian stage in the 19th century. Then comes Maria Zankovetska - an actress of such renown that she played her own corpse. Solomiya Krushel…

Ukrainian nationalism was on the rise during in the interwar years in Poland, and the 1932 trial of Dmytro Danylyshyn and Vasyl Bilas proved to be as tragic as it was popular. But who were these two youths? And why was the trial so broadly talked about? What lasting impact did it have and more importantly - why was the Organization of Ukrainian Nat…

The bandura and the kobzari - those wandering bandura players - were important carries of Ukrainian oral history and culture. How did the bandura evolve to become the national instrument of Ukraine and where did those kobzari come from? Why were they important in Ukraine's historical memory of the Cossacks and why were they deemed such a treat to t…

An interview with Dr. Sasha Dovzhyk about one of Ukraine's leading poetic and feminist voices - Lesia Ukrainka. Ukrainka, which was her pen name, began writing poetry at a young age, was first published at 8, was anti-Tsarist, passionately Ukrainian and fiercely feminist. In this discussion we talk about how her illness influenced her writing, what…

Who was Olena Pchilka and Petro Kosach? And why and how did they create such enthusiastically nationally-minded and feminist children, like Lesya Ukrainka? What type of family home did they create (both literally and figuratively)? And who else in this super Ukrainian family was so influential in the family life of Lesya Ukrainka? Find out in this …

Did you know that Ukrainian feminism is different from it's Western sister? What makes it so different and who has influenced the evolution of both Ukrainian feminist theory and practice? Find out in this latest episode, where you will also listen to me fan-girling over Martha Bohachevsky-Chomiak, whose book "Feminists Despite Themselves" is one of…

Medieval King of Kyiv - Oleh the Prophet - was probably a Varangian (aka Viking) who grabbed power and ruled from Kyiv. Some say he was the first emperor of the Kyivan Rus Empire while others call him a warrior king as he raided and received a favourable treaty with Constantinople. Only problem is that primary sources of his life and times are in s…

What does a travel writer (pictured in the episode cover art), a noble turned foreign royal, a Mohawk tribal chief, a navy man and a space explorer have in common? Well, they were all Ukrainians! This episode looks at some fascinating histories of Sofia Yablonska (1930s travel photographer and writer), Kateryna Desnytska (Ukrainian noble turned Sia…

The Second World War tore apart the Second Polish Republic and was the main precursor to the creation of the Polish Home Army (AK) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). And while the relationship between Ukrainians and Poles was brutal and complicated during the horrific, anarchic years of the Second World War - both nationalities were targeted b…

While Poland and Ukraine may have a very complicated history - there were moments of unity and cooperation between the two throughout history. This episode looks at one of these episodes in the 20th century which centres around the two leaders of their respective countries. Symon Petliura and Jozef Pilsudski have commonalities and differences - bot…

How did Volodymyr Ivasyuk become a house hold Ukrainian name? Why were his songs so popular - and are still sung around campfires, dining tables and front lines in today's Ukraine? Why do they hold such a powerful place in Ukrainian hearts, so much so that his music is now considered Ukrainian folk songs? And why was he so dangerous to the Russian …

Ukrainian emigration outside of Ukraine have been ongoing for centuries - both west and east. So many Ukrainians emigrated that they formed small Ukrainian communities who identified themselves as Ukrainians and many even wanted to join an independent Ukrainian People's Republic in the early 20th century. These colourful Ukraines: the Red, the Grey…

Yaroslav the Wise had four daughters and six sons. His daughters were all married to European rulers while his sons decided to play game of the thrones of Kyivan Rus. Well, three of them did - anyway. Iziaslav was ruler three different times and was an European adventurer, while Sviatoslav was the wise one with a short reign and Vsevolod was the la…

The Second World War saw some of the most terrible and inhumane episodes in human history. Millions of civilians and soldiers were dead by the end of it. Why is one month in 1941 so important for Ukrainian history? It showed the sadistic nature of the Soviet occupation and NKVD agencies with the mechanical murder of political prisoners sitting in S…

The Ottoman Empire is known, among other things, for its imperial harem. But a female slave from Ukraine turned the whole system of concubines on its head and ushered in an age of female domination. This was the famous and infamous Roxelana (aka Hurrem Sultan). One of the last of these great women was another Ukrainian - Turhan Sultan (or Nadiya). …

Scott Bury is a journalist, novelist (from fantasy series to murder-mysteries to historical novels) and now podcaster. His Eastern Front Trilogy follows the story of his father-in-law, Maurice Bury - a Canadian who served in the Red Army from 1941 to 1945. Scott also has a new podcast, the only English speaking podcast that focuses on the Eastern F…

The 1960's counter-culture in Soviet Ukraine was a bit more dramatic than that of the West: poets could were feared, the individual was on the rise and national awareness was creeping up into the national consciousness of Ukraine's students and intellectuals. Some of these dissidents were arrested, some killed but all of them influenced a generatio…

Volodymyr Monomakh was the prince of Smolensk, Chernihiv, Pereiaslav and finally the Grand Prince (aka King) of Kyivan-Rus from 1113 to 1125. How did this grandson of Yaroslav the Wise rise from the thousandth in line to rule the Empire? Find out in this episode along with how much the man loved to hunt (a lot, trust me, it was A LOT!), how he used…

A Russian princess turned famed front-line doctor meets a young strapping Ukrainian Colonel of the Ukrainian People's Army in 1919. They marry, have a kid, and get interned in two different prisoners of war camps, divorce but still see each other. Who were these two remarkable people? It was Khrystyna and Roman Sushko and this episode explores thei…

A verbal look at a very visual art form - we'll look at the evolution of Ukrainian dance. From a very pagan, spiritual dance form asking the gods for help to a modern, ballet-inspired whirlwind of complexity and FUN! We'll also get a look at the history of the hopak and how Ukrainian dance evolution diverged between Soviet-style Ukrainian folk and …

Who was this Cossack whom a Polish historian described as: "A lion's courage, the mobility of the snake, the cunning of the fox and the light-heartedness of the wind trembled in Bohun’s every vein. Freedom, space, the steppe and war were his element"? A man who was a stubborn independentist and believed that Ukraine should not rely on any other pow…

A man born in one empire, studied in Italy and Germany, came back to Lviv which was under Poland for his vocation, lived through the Second World War, was put in a GULAG for almost 20 years and freed by the efforts of an American President, a Vatican Pope and a Soviet Premier. This was Major Archbishop (and Patriarch for many Ukrainians) Josyf Slip…

A royal count who became a laywer who found his calling as a priest and became the head of his church at the age of 35! This was Metroplitan Andrey Sheptytsky - who came from a mixed Polish-Ukrainian family who valued the youth and Ukrainian national-consciousness. He was a man that didn't give the Vatican a dime of money but put it all back to his…

What is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and how did it come about? Who were the main characters who made it happen, who sort-of lost his mind in the process and how was it received? This Union wasn't the first attempt to unify the Eastern and Western Christian churches but it made a great impact on Ukraine's religious history. We'll take a look…

Our first interview of 2022 is with researcher and historian Alik Gomelsky. Originally from Kharkiv, he is a member of the Canadian Author’s Association, co-founder of the Ukrainian-Jewish International Association and the author of "History: Unlearned Lessons", "Simon Petliura: Facts against Myths" and his latest: "Jewish-Ukrainian Relations. 20th…

Russia today wants to "deNazify" Ukraine, to eliminate the Ukrainian "fascists" and has systematically killed innocent civilians in this demented drive of theirs. But how did we get to this point - where Russian society supports the eradication of an entire people? Well, a lot of it has to do with misleading and outright lies that they turned into …

Ukraine's independence in 1991 could not have been accomplished without the 1990 Revolution on Granite. The Orange Revolution could not have been organized without the students in 2004. And the 2014 Revolution of Dignity was as much a student protest as a national indication of the nation's governance. How were students so organized that they stood…

Russian preside/dictator went on national television on Feb. 21, 2022 and showed the world that he was an insane despot. Three days later, on Feb. 24 at 5am Kyiv time, the Russian army began bombing Kyiv. This episode is a response to that crazy, delusional speech from Putin. There is a lot of swearing, because I'm pretty mad. There's no travel or …

Due to the current Russia war against Ukraine, I've cut the travel/tourist topics from these episodes going forward until Putin withdraws his troops or basically dies. But I will still look at various historical topics, like in this episode: Nestor Makhno was a revolutionary anarchist during a time of complete chaos of the post-First World War Ukra…

What is Russian imperialism and how does it differ from any other form of imperialism? Where did it start and why is it so focused on Ukraine? What is Putin, really and why is he so terrified of letting Ukraine go (even though we don't really want to be part of his "Ruskiy Mir")? Find out in this latest episode! We'll also discuss the historical ti…

Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861) was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public, political figure, folklorist and ethnographer. He is seen by many as Ukraine's prophet and his poetry is the foundation of Ukraine' modern literature. He was an orphan, a serf, a Russian titled "Artist", an exile and a lonely figure that was surrounded by a group of literary…

These women were some of the firsts to become officers in any armed forces of the world - during a time of unimaginable turmoil that was the Great War. These veterans of the First World War had active lives before, during and after the war and impacted the history of Ukraine in the twentieth century. Some became leaders in various organizations, ot…