Thinking in Dark Times

Volodymyr Yermolenko
  • 4.0 (2)
  • PHILOSOPHY

A philosophical and cultural podcast from Ukraine. By Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and writer. I live and work in Ukraine, doing both intellectual and practical volunteering work in the context of the Russian invasion against Ukraine. I try to see the light through and despite the darkness. Support my work at: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinggg

  1. Decoding Trump’s Ukraine policy - with Christopher Atwood

    1D AGO

    Decoding Trump’s Ukraine policy - with Christopher Atwood

    Since Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, Russia has drastically escalated its missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities. In January 2026, launches exceeded 6,000—a sharp increase from approximately 2,000 in January 2025. The use of guided aerial bombs (KABs) also reached a record high of almost 6,000 per month. With the Trump administration significantly cutting military aid to Kyiv, Ukraine now finds itself in an increasingly vulnerable position. What are the underlying causes of this policy shift, and what does it reveal about Trump’s vision for global order and human rights? ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet covering Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko—Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Christopher Atwood, an American human rights and communications expert and Head of Ukraїner International—the international branch of the popular Ukrainian media platform, Ukraїner. ***Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/explaining-ukraineUkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. ***CONTENTS:00:00 Intro06:00 Why is it important to be in Ukraine?10:08 Analysis of the US political shift: Biden VS Trump13:58 Trump and violence15:00 "Empathy Recession": How cruelty has become a cultural zeitgeist21:10 The role of the media establishment27:11 Trump`s perspectives on Ukraine: Is he a mediator or closer to Putin’s vision?30:43 The threat to Europe35:27 Trump’s economics40:01 Public vs. Political support: Why most Americans still favor Ukraine44:04 Building a coalition of the willing

    50 min
  2. Cities without Kings: Humanity's Prehistory on Ukrainian Soil — with David Wengrow

    JAN 28

    Cities without Kings: Humanity's Prehistory on Ukrainian Soil — with David Wengrow

    What can the deep past of Ukrainian lands reveal about the global story of humanity? Six thousand years ago, "mega-sites" flourished in what is now central Ukraine—but can these be considered the world’s first cities? How were they organized without central authorities, and how do they challenge everything we thought we knew about early social life? ***This is Thinking in Dark Times, a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: David Wengrow, a renowned British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London. He is the co-author, alongside David Graeber, of the international bestseller "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity". ***Thinking in Dark Times is produced by UkraineWorld and brought to you by Internews Ukraine. It is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO. ***SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. ***CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro. What can the deep past of Ukraine reveal about the global story of humanity?00:14 - Were the world’s first cities actually built in what is now Ukraine?02:51 - Why does the Ukrainian soil play a key role in rethinking the origins of cities and states?03:55 - Why are standard narratives of human history fundamentally wrong?09:15 - What were the Cucuteni-Trypillia megasites?17:23 - Why does the existence of egalitarian cities overturn political history itself?20:35 - What does a circular city say about how people imagined the world?21:27 - How did thousands of people govern themselves without rulers?26:36 - Did democracy exist thousands of years before ancient Greece?28:29 - Were Hobbes and Rousseau both wrong about human nature?42:29 - Is Ukrainian history shaped by a tension between freedom and vulnerability?47:22 - What do burning rituals reveal about cyclical views of life and nature?50:51 - Why does Ukraine’s past matter for the future of humanity?

    52 min
  3. Ukrainian geopolitical thought - with Danylo Lubkivsky

    12/01/2025

    Ukrainian geopolitical thought - with Danylo Lubkivsky

    Ukraine has its own tradition of geopolitical thinking — a tradition that reaches deep into the past and continues to shape the country’s strategic imagination today. What are its key traits? Why was it developed more by writers than by statesmen? And how does it relate to Ukraine’s current reflection on its identity? ***Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/thinkinggg UkraineWorld: ukraineworld.org/en ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Danylo Lubkivsky, a Ukrainian diplomat and thinker, deputy foreign minister in 2014, and currently director of the Kyiv Security Forum. ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkingggYour help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding.

    48 min
  4. Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk on Ukraine’s Moral Core

    11/19/2025

    Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk on Ukraine’s Moral Core

    She is not only a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is not only one of the most visible human-rights defenders in Europe in recent decades. She is not only a tireless activist with profound empathy for others. She is also a thinker — someone who reflects deeply on the moral foundations of freedom and dignity.  Our guest today is Oleksandra Matviychuk, a prominent Ukrainian human-rights defender and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. In this episode, we discuss the moral ideas that hold Ukrainian society together. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine  UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en  *** SUPPORT:  You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk: On Freedom, Dignity, and War 02:24 "Not Nobel Peace Prize changed my life - the large-scale war has changed my life"  08:32 Torture, rape, enforced disappearances, filtration camps — the reality of Russian occupation 11:55 Why are Ukrainians not "ideal victims"? 15:57 The horror of Russian captivity: Ihor Kozlovskyi`s experience 19:44 Why is freedom existential for Ukrainians? 24:16 Ukrainian strength lies in the people's belief that their efforts matter 31:38 Over 170,000 registered Russian war crimes in Ukraine 32:18 Why is justice important now, not after the end of the war? 35:41 Why is the Russian war against Ukraine genocidal? 43:50 What gives Oleksandra Matviichuk hope today? *** The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR

    47 min
  5. Why Europe’s security depends on Ukraine - with Yevhen Hlibovytskyi

    10/30/2025

    Why Europe’s security depends on Ukraine - with Yevhen Hlibovytskyi

    Ukraine is not a burden for Europe — it’s a chance for Europe. Today, European security is unthinkable without Ukraine. Ukraine has the strongest army in Europe, a dynamic defense industry, and citizens with vast military experience. The real question is: to what extent does Europe itself understand the threat posed by the new authoritarianisms? And to what extent does it realise that helping Ukraine is, in fact, a matter of its own survival? ***Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, a prominent Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute.Frontier Institute: frontier.pro-mova.com/en ***Explaining Ukraine is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: li.sten.to/thinkinggg ***SUPPORT:You can support our work on  https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians.Donations are welcome via PayPal at:  ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. ***CONTENTS:00:00 Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, Ukrainian intellectual and director of the Frontier Institute.02:04 Has the dynamic shifted, making Ukraine a supplier of security to Europe rather than just a recipient?07:49 Is the acute 'need' driven by war a stronger motivator for entrepreneurship and creativity than peacetime opportunity?10:25 Why is the historical understanding of the Russian threat still proving ambivalent in some Central and Southern European countries?15:01 Should the European Union transform into a geopolitical union by adding a military security component to its integration?22:36 Is the Ukrainian governance model inherently more resilient because of civil society?27:59 Why is Europe failing to find the necessary political will to take decisive action on Russian assets, sanctions, and information warfare?30:31 Is the perception of Ukraine as a 'burden' outdated?35:03 What about NATO?43:48 What long-term economic and demographic impacts will follow if the current threat isn't addressed?

    46 min
  6. Timothy Snyder on why history matters — and how we get it wrong

    10/21/2025

    Timothy Snyder on why history matters — and how we get it wrong

    In September 2025, in Kyiv, a prominent American historian Timothy Snyder received the Vasyl Stus Prize — a Ukrainian award honoring the name of Vasyl Stus, one of Ukraine’s greatest poets and dissidents of the 20th century, killed by the Soviet regime in 1985. Founded in 1989 by Yevhen Sverstiuk, another prominent Ukrainian dissident, the prize is now awarded by PEN Ukraine, the publishing house Dukh i Litera, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School. Before the award ceremony, we held a public conversation with Snyder on the good and bad ways of thinking about history. Since interpretations of history often lie at the heart of both the good and the evil that people do, this question remains vitally important. *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Thinking in Dark Times seeks to find the light through — and despite — today’s darkness.  *** UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine Listen to our podcasts: Explaining Ukraine: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Thinking in Dark Times: https://li.sten.to/thinkinggg *** Special thanks to the Ukrainian History Global Initiative, PEN Ukraine, and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School for helping organize this event. This episode was made possible with the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** You can also listen to several other conversations with Timothy Snyder from previous years: On freedom: Timothy Snyder in Kyiv https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-344 Timothy Snyder in Kharkiv: A conversation about freedom https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-340 Freedom as a value and a task https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-258 Ukraine, the war, and the plurality of values https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts//ep-144  *** SUPPORT:  You can support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work.  You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, ukraine.resisting@gmail.com  *** CONTENTS: 00:00:00 Timothy Snyder, world-renowned historian 00:03:04 What are the good and bad ways to use history to understand who we are? 00:08:53 How does a 'single line' view of the past, like Putin's or Trump's, take away our freedom? 00:25:18 Why recognizing the 'difference' of people in the past is a liberating act for us in the present? 00:49:55 Is the world truly living in a 'post-history' era where conflict and tragedy are safely in the past? 00:56:22 Does seeing a pattern in history mean the war is repeating, or is it a moment of new responsibility? 01:03:35 Was the US response in March 2022 a failure because American leaders were stuck in 'memory' instead of 'history'? 01:13:52 How does the power of data-driven tools force us to be careful about the human questions we ask? 01:24:21 Was the printing press as disruptive to society as social media is today?

    1h 32m
  7. Niall Ferguson on Empires, Networks, and Ukraine

    10/13/2025

    Niall Ferguson on Empires, Networks, and Ukraine

    SUPPORT this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  *** Are all empires equally bad? If some were better than others, what criteria can we use to make such judgments? Why must we study networks, not only hierarchies, to understand our past, present, and future? What happens to societies in times of catastrophe, and who has the best chances of survival? And finally — why is Ukraine so important for the world today? *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Niall Ferguson — a renowned British-American historian and author of numerous books, including “Empire”, “The Square and the Tower”, “The War of the World”, “Doom”, and others. Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. We had this conversation during the Yalta European Strategy Forum in Kyiv in September 2025. *** Thinking in Dark Times is a podcast of reflection from Ukraine. We try to see the light through — and despite — the current darkness.  This episode was made possible thanks to the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** SUPPORT: You can support this podcast on https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work.  *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro: Niall Ferguson, a renowned British American historian and author of numerous books. 01:58 - Why does historian Niall Ferguson keep coming back to Kyiv, and what value does he find here? 04:06 - Does the war in Ukraine truly hold a global meaning? 10:01 - Was the British Empire good or bad for the world? 12:17 - What's the difference between a 'liberal' empire and an 'illiberal' one? 19:30 - Does the European Union find a balance between the Empire and the Nation-State? 26:59 - Can Ukraine become an 'antifragile' state? 28:48 - Is being threatened by a 'big bad neighbor' the key to becoming an innovative society? 31:07 - How did the last decade of Russian aggression ultimately lead to the birth of the Ukrainian nation?

    33 min
  8. Can Nationalism Be Good?

    09/29/2025

    Can Nationalism Be Good?

    SUPPORT this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  *** Nationalism, for many people, is a bad word. They associate it with xenophobia, a sense of superiority, and exclusion. Many believe that nationalism inevitably leads to fascism or Nazism. In this episode, I want to challenge these views. Yes, nationalism can lead to dangerous practices, but it can also be something very different — because its roots are different. It grew out of the 19th-century discourse of democracy and republics, in opposition to tyranny and despotism. In this sense, nationalism has been much closer to liberalism and socialism than many people think. Like them, it can be moderate or radical. *** This is a podcast “Thinking in Dark Times”. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I am a Ukrainian philosopher, president of PEN Ukraine, and chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine.  I am staying in Ukraine with my family during the war, continuing to teach at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and doing volunteer work to support Ukrainian resistance.  The goal of this podcast is to see the light through and despite the current darkness.  This podcast is not about Ukraine, but it is thinking from Ukraine and shaped by the Ukrainian experience.  *** You can support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thinkinggg  Please also check out our website, UkraineWorld.org, and our other podcast, Explaining Ukraine. This episode is produced in partnership with Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers.

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A philosophical and cultural podcast from Ukraine. By Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and writer. I live and work in Ukraine, doing both intellectual and practical volunteering work in the context of the Russian invasion against Ukraine. I try to see the light through and despite the darkness. Support my work at: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinggg

Information

  • Creator
    Volodymyr Yermolenko
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Volodymyr Yermolenko
  • Show Website
    Thinking in Dark Times

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