Vladimir Vladimirovich Loves to Watch Children DyingIn this essay I discuss some misconceptions about the Soviet Union’s political coordinates and then speculate on some amusing parallels…Apr 27Apr 27
Of Apples, Soup, and Grain, Or What Climate Activists and Polish Farmers Have in CommonBack in my hotel room in Berlin on September 24, 2021, I was reading the news to learn that a massive Fridays for Future rally had just…Mar 19Mar 19
Petőfi, Orbán, and a War of SymbolsWhen we disregard Alexander Pushkin, whose images have been quickly disappearing from Ukrainian streets and squares since February 2022…Nov 14, 2023Nov 14, 2023
Why Hamas Supporters Quote Céline and How Putinists Learned to Love SolzhenitsynThere is little doubt that Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894–1961) was a talented, original, and influential writer. His debut novel, Journey to…Oct 21, 2023Oct 21, 2023
The Hungarian Far Right Believe Putin Is Fighting Communists in Ukraine: The Publishing FrontIt so happened that my last foreign trip before the full-scale Russian invasion was to Budapest in November 2021. I stayed in the city’s…Aug 30, 20231Aug 30, 20231
Russia Destroys Its First Polish Heritage Object in UkraineLast night I went to bed after 1 AM, only to be awakened an hour later by an air-raid alert. I was too tired and fell asleep again, but…Jul 6, 2023Jul 6, 2023
The Intricacies of Canceling Russian CultureAfter Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there has been a lot of controversy about canceling Russian culture, both inside…Jun 6, 20234Jun 6, 20234
Why Freedom Lovers Support Authoritarian Regimes: Corruption Is the KeyWhen someone claims to be an advocate of freedom, it doesn’t necessarily mean they advocate freedom for everyone.May 29, 2023May 29, 2023
The Vatican and Russian RouletteTwo testimonies were read at the tenth station of the Via Crucis procession at the Colosseum on this year’s Good Friday. One of them was of…Apr 28, 20231Apr 28, 20231
Where Have All the People Gone? Lessons from Russia’s Longest WarA brief history of the Russo-Circassian War and the Circassian genocide and its lessons in relation to Russia’s war in Ukraine.Mar 21, 20232Mar 21, 20232
