The Russian question

If the collective sacrifice during the Second World War cemented Russian identity in the absence of consensus, then the attack on Ukraine does the same but to a different end. …

Peace talking versus peace making

Ukraine denial is the root cause of Putin’s genocidal war. Since he is unwilling and unable to abandon this ideological obsession, talk of negotiations by western ‘peacemakers’ looks like an …

Saving testimonies from ruin

One year on from the escalation of Russia’s invasion and there’s no sign of conflict resolution in Ukraine. While controversy abounds over political negotiations, constructive discussions about bearing witness to …

Extinction internet

Measures such as ‘ethical AI’ and ‘good data’ will not bring about social justice, end racial capitalism or forestall climate disaster. How to channel discontent and counter-hegemony into an actual …

The sound of resistance

From pop and rock to rap, metal and electronic: popular music in Ukraine has been a part of the national awakening since 2014. Now, once again, Ukrainian musical culture is …

Humouring imperialism

Since the Cold War, western literary and educational establishments have reproduced Moscow’s chauvinist view of Ukrainian culture as a derivative of Russian. That attitude is now politically and morally untenable. …

Trump is back – more extreme than before

Donald Trump is spreading the Qanon delusions and other half-truths and lies on his network. Now he is returning to mainstream social networks, where extremism is hard to avoid. But …

Teaching diary

How public education reached its breaking point in Hungary Teachers in Hungary are on a wildcat strike and pupils are demanding their pedagogues be paid. Public education has long been …

Pelé – The Artist

Sometimes chance pulls many into a tight time loop. On December 18th in Qatar, Argentine midfielder Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup over his head and a wave of social …

Surrounded by enemies

Generations of Russians schooled during and after the Soviet Union were taught that Russia’s imperial expansion took place peacefully. In this version of history, Russia was always reacting to western …

Erasmus of Hungary – a test of Orbán’s power

The European Union has stopped paying for Hungary’s student exchange. But the Erasmus project was very popular with young people, will this shake Viktor Orbán’s power?   Viktor Orbán’s Hungary …

The Artist in the Snares of Power

On New Year’s Eve, Russian state television aired a programme that represented the height of tastelessness and kitsch; compared to it, the former Engerian “cauldron of entertainment” Ein Kessel Buntes …