Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 1: Ukrainian Questions Posed by Russian Invasion

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Strong rec simonh · 2022-10 · on “How does the Russo-Ukrainian War end?”

I can imagine Russia conducting as 'nuclear test' in or near Ukraine, but I think the consequences for Russia would be dire, and I hope the Russian leadership realise that. Ive been following the author's currently ongoing Yale course on the history of the Ukrainian state on youtube, it's excellent. The latest lecture dropped yesterday and I just finished it a few minutes ago, so it seems weird to see his name again here so soon. Here's a link to the first of them. [this video]

Strong rec jnsaff2 · 2023-01 · on “Ask HN: What's the best lecture series you've ever seen?”

Timothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. [0] gives you invaluable understanding about much more than just Ukraine. MIT 16.885J Aircraft Systems Engineering, Fall 2005 [1] - the aircraft they focus on is the Space Shuttle. Amazingly demystifying. Some of the actual early designers talk there. [0] - [this video] [1] - [LINK]

Strong rec hayst4ck · 2023-05 · on “Ask HN: Good History Blogs?”

Timothy Snyder is just fantastic: [LINK] His class on Ukraine on Youtube is fantastic: [this video] If I had a history class taught like this in college I might have looked at it. I think in one of his classes about Ukraine he mentioned that he was a programmer at some point. His explanations of history are often very input/output oriented or explained almost like an algorithm. His books are also worth reading and every one of his lectures on youtube I have enjoyed. He's great at giving historical perspective to current affairs, and probably more than anyone else, I feel like he makes the current political climate make sense.

Recommends caskstrength · 2023-03 · on “Alternative facts: How the media failed Julian Assange”

As a Ukrainian I find your comments in this thread insulting. You should educate yourself a little about history of Ukraine before you start spewing such nonsense. I would suggest you to start with this: [this video] Now, I will assume you are just a misguided westerner who watches too much Fox news and indulge you: > Ukraine is right on the russia's border. So? How about US invading Mexico, occupying and annexing its lands, killing bunch of civilians while simultaneously demanding Mexico to "respect" US "sphere of influence", speak English, stop "threatening" it by committing to neutrality, etc. > Their economies and cultures are intertwined. Let them rape and indiscriminately kill bunch of civi

Recommends kstenerud · 2023-03 · on “Ask HN: How to best follow Ukraine Russian conflict?”

[LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] Also, Timothy Snyder's Yale classes on Ukrainian and Russian history offer an excellent background to the war, which helps when trying to separate reality from propaganda: [this video]

Recommends kstenerud · 2023-03 · on “Fide Women’s Grand Prix Collapses into “Chaos” as Players Withdraw”

Aaaaand now we've taken a hard-right into propaganda territory, so I'll get off here. I would suggest consulting Timothy Snyder, Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe [LINK] His lectures are available on youtube: [this video]

Recommends philipov · 2025-02 · on “Doubts remain over reliability of Texas power grid”

One clarification to make - While I haven't read On Freedom, Tim Snyder is a scholar of Ukrainian (and slavic) history who is a major opponent of the far right's agenda. One of his big ideas is the different approach to time promoted by authoritarian vs liberal regimes, to try to inoculate people against the talking points of the authoritarian view. I might disagree with the positive/negative freedom argument on a more fundamental level than he does, but he's not engaging with it because he's trying to promote it. His lecture series on the Making of Modern Ukraine: [this video]