"[Ukrainians] are a distinct people and [their] language reflects that. [...] Putin himself has been saying 'Ukraine is part of Russia, Ukrainians are Russians, there's no difference'. It's not as if this is only an academic point. This historical claim is politically relevant and emotionally and psychologically relevant."
Professor Audrey Altstadt explains Eastern European cultural identity and charts the history of the longstanding cultural, linguistic, and territorial conflicts between Russian and Ukraine. Altstadt is a professor of history at UMass Amherst and focuses her research on Soviet History, Soviet nationalities, especially Azerbaijan, and Central Asia.
We also march to Amherst Center, where students, professors, and community members demonstrated in solidarity with Ukraine on Friday, March 4, 2022.
This episode was produced and reported on by Catherine Hurley and Rebeca Pereira.
