The Pete Quiñones Show Reading Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together' w/ Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson - Part 88
Nov 22, 2025
Dr. Matthew Raphael Johnson, a former professor and expert in Russian history, dives deep into Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together.' He explores the controversial Jewish colonization efforts in Crimea and Ukraine, analyzing local backlash and the socio-political dynamics of the era. The conversation also touches on the logistical failures in Birobidzhan, revealing the stark contrast between propaganda and reality. With insights on Yevsek's role and the complexities of Jewish life under Soviet rule, this discussion unpacks historical narratives and challenges conventional understandings.
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Crimea Colonization Plan And Local Backlash
- The Soviet government planned large-scale Jewish agricultural colonization in Crimea and Ukraine, aiming to dramatically raise Jewish population shares.
- Pete Quiñones and Matthew Raphael Johnson note peasants were displaced to make room and tensions with Tatars and locals followed.
Criticism Branded As Chauvinism
- Complaints about Jewish colonization were labeled bourgeois chauvinism and sometimes called pogroms by authorities.
- Matthew Raphael Johnson emphasizes that criticizing colonization could itself be criminalized under Soviet labels.
Repression Predates Stalin
- Matthew Raphael Johnson stresses many repressive policies and shootings occurred under Lenin, not only Stalin.
- He argues scholars wrongly blame Stalin alone for atrocities that began earlier in Bolshevik rule.
