The Slavic Connexion
The Slavic Connexion

The Slavic Connexion

Connexions

Overview
Episodes

Details

An international chat show on the politics, history, current events, and peoples of the Slavic world, sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and Clements Center for National Security. Whether you're a Slavophile, a foreign affairs junkie, or simply a curious mind, The Slavic Connexion offers insightful, accessible, and even fun discussions on the sprawling region in the context of our hyperconnected world. "It's not typical Texas..."

Recent Episodes

The German Perspective: NATO, Ukraine, and Russian Information Operations
OCT 6, 2024
The German Perspective: NATO, Ukraine, and Russian Information Operations

On this episode, Basil speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Martin Wroblewski, PhD, a seasoned officer in the German Army with deep insights into the intricacies of European security dynamics. They delve into the German role in NATO and in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, as well as Russian information operations as they pertain to Germany. LTC Wroblewski shares his expertise on the importance of developing interoperability within NATO forces, the strategic partnership between America and Germany, the critical role of information operations in modern warfare, and strategies for enhancing resiliency in the face of evolving threats particularly in the cyber domain. Thanks for listening!


ABOUT THE GUEST

LTC Dr. Martin Wroblewski is a native of Germany and a graduate of the University of Bonn, Germany. LTC Wroblewski joined the German Army as an active duty officer in 2016. He graduated from Infantry School in Hammelburg, German Army Officer School in Dresden and the German PSYOP Officer Qualification and Advanced Course in Mayen. Additionally, he attended various courses on Human Intelligence, Behavior Analysis, Advanced Target Audience Analysis as well as several PSYOP- and INFOOP-related trainings at the NATO School in Oberammergau. During his service at the Bundeswehr Operations Communication Center in Mayen, he served as an Information Environment Analyst and as the Sub-Unit Leader Target Audience Analysis of a Psyop Company. In 2019/2020 LTC Wroblewski was deployed with the 6th German Contingent to Enhanced Forward Presence in Rukla, Lithuania. There he held the position of Chief Information Operations. After returning from deployment his duty focus was on the refinement of TAA processes, eFP-related instructor duties, and product development in regards to hybrid threats with a regional emphasis on eastern Europe. In June 2021 he successfully completed the PSYOP Qualification Course at USAJFKSWCS. Starting in September 2021 he serves as an XO with the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) in Fort Liberty (previously Fort Bragg), NC. LTC Wroblewski holds a Master of Arts in Medieval and Modern History, Constitutional, Social and Economic History as well as Modern English Language and Literature from the University of Bonn, Germany. In 2016 he graduated from the PhD program at the University of Bonn in History after an extensive research project with the German Foreign Ministry. Before his career as an active duty officer, LTC Dr. Wroblewski had several years of experience as a private school teacher and public relations consultant. His military awards and decorations include the German and Lithuanian Deployment Medal, the German PSYOP Badge in bronze as well as other medals and awards.


PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded in September 2024.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on the show, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch!


PRODUCTION CREDITS

Host/Assistant Producer: Basil Fedun

Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana)

Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar

Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Beat Mekanik, Alex Productions, Dirk Dehler, Joey Hendrixx

Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel | slavx.org | connexions.ai


Visit the Texas Podcast Network for more great podcasts.

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20 MIN
"Bad Romance": Sex, Spies, and Lies from the Cold War
SEP 29, 2024
"Bad Romance": Sex, Spies, and Lies from the Cold War

On this episode, Josh Sanborn joins Lera and Sergio to talk about his latest cultural research on spies and spy fiction from the Cold War, and the fascinating interplay between the Intelligence Community and the fiction world. In his forthcoming book project Bad Romance, Josh unpacks famed novels such as From Russia with Love and Soviet films and how the portrayal of espionage and covert action differs between the West and the USSR. Thanks for listening!


About the Guest

Joshua Sanborn is professor of history at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. He is the author of Imperial Apocalypse: The Great War and the Destruction of the Russian Empire (Oxford University Press, 2014), Drafting the Russian Nation: Military Conscription, Total War, and Mass Politics, 1905-1925 (Northern Illinois University Press, 2003), and the co-author of Gender, Sex, and the Shaping of Modern Europe, 3rd revised and expanded edition (Bloomsbury, 2022). He is currently working on a new project on scientists, spies, and the narratives created about them in the Cold War.  He teaches a variety of courses on the history of Russia and Eastern Europe, including surveys of Russian history and seminars on the global history of 1968, the Cold War, and on human rights. PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded in Chicago at the 2022 ASEEES Convention. If you have any questions, email us at [email protected].


PRODUCTION CREDITS

Hosts: Lera Toropin, Sergio Glajar

Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch

Assistant Producer: Basil Fedun

Assistant EP: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy)

Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana)

Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar

Production Assistant: Faith VanVleet

Supervising Producer: Nicholas Pierce

SlavX Editorial Director: Sam Parrish

Main Closing Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Alex Productions, Audiorezout); sound bites from "Dr. No" and "From Russia with Love"

Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel | www.msdaniel.com | https://connexions.ai

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29 MIN
Stable Division: Belarus & the Continued Battle for Democracy
SEP 15, 2024
Stable Division: Belarus & the Continued Battle for Democracy

"When we think about the War in Ukraine, we should think about Belarus as well," says Ryhor Astapenia, founder and research director of the Centre for New Ideas, a Minsk-based non-partisan civil society organization promoting democratic reforms in Belarus. On this episode, Ryhor shares with us about the importance of Belarus in the European security theater, the role of independent media in promoting democracy among Belarussians, and Aleksandr Lukashenko's support for Putin's agenda and the Russian wartime economy. Thanks for listening.

PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded in Prague, Czechia at the Unlock 2024 summit presented by the Prague Civil Society Centre. Visit ⁠⁠https://unlockprague.com⁠⁠ for more information.


PRODUCTION CREDITS

Host: Nicholas Pierce

Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch

Assistant Producer: Basil Fedun

Assistant EP: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy)

Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana)

Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar

Production Assistant: Faith VanVleet

Supervising Producer: Nicholas Pierce

SlavX Editorial Director: Sam Parrish

Main Closing Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Alex Productions, Beat Mekanik, Audiorezout)

Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (@M_S_Daniel) www.msdaniel.com | https://connexions.ai

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19 MIN
"We're all in cyberspace together": Digital Literacy from Ukraine to the World
SEP 5, 2024
"We're all in cyberspace together": Digital Literacy from Ukraine to the World

On this episode, recorded at UNLOCK Prague 2024, SlavX host Kate speaks with Anastasiia Apetyk, a lawyer and expert on information rights and digital security. Since 2017, at the Expert Centre for Human Rights (Kyiv, Ukraine), Anastasiia has been researching security issues at the community level, problems of information and digital rights, data protection, and digital security. She advises on and develops training programs in the field of digital rights and digital security for executive authorities and local government. She is co-founder of the public organization MINZMIN where she directs the development of educational materials on digital security. She is the author of the first online course in Ukraine, Digital Rights and Child Safety. She is a Forbes Top 30 Under 30 in Ukraine. Thanks for listening!

PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded in Prague, Czechia at the Unlock 2024 summit presented by the Prague Civil Society Centre. Visit ⁠https://unlockprague.com⁠ for more information.


PRODUCTION CREDITS

Host/Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch

Assistant Producer: Basil Fedun

Assistant EP: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy)

Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana)

Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar

Production Assistant: Faith VanVleet

Supervising Producer: Nicholas Pierce

SlavX Editorial Director: Sam Parrish

Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Alex Productions, Beat Mekanik, Bleu "Tequila")

Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (@M_S_Daniel) www.msdaniel.com

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38 MIN