Talk Eastern Europe

Welcome to a special live edition of the Talk Eastern Europe podcast as we prepare for the launch of transcultural festival POSTWEST. This live chat was devoted to the opening of the festival and its Prologue. Adam & Maciek were joined by curators Alina Aleshchenko and Wiebke Jahns as well as a surprise guest! They discussed how COVID-19 changed the festival format, what the festival will look like now and how you, as the audience, can participate.This podcast episode was streamed live on June 21st 2020. Join us for a series of live events during the POSTWEST Transcultural Festival starting on June 24 2020 at 11:00 PM Central European Time.Resources and links:- The programme for the POSTWEST Festival: http://postwest.volksbuehne.berlin/en/programme/- Join our Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/talkeasterneurope Music featured in the podcastRadio Moscow: Funk in A by texasradiofish (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/texasradiofish/31355 Ft: ElRon XChile, Lawrence Lessig, Prokur, Acclivity, Eee Zee Mister Que--> Support the podcast, become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

This is the second part of the special series dedicated to the POSTWEST transcultural festival. In this episode, Adam catches up with Maija Pavlova a producer with the Gertrudes Ielas Teatris (the Gertrude Street Theatre) based in Riga. They discuss the challenges of the pandemic for performance artists and how non-profit cultural institutions managed in the situation. They also discussed the theatre’s involvement in the POSTWEST festival and the performance they will do in a virtual format.The Gertrude Street Theatre will perform a piece called “Tanya’s Birthday” which is meant to take place in 1989. It explores the marks left by these historical events and analyzes the interconnections between them from artists’ perspectives as witnesses of their time. The performance is set in and takes place like a virtual birthday party. The spectators assume the roles of friends and family. Resources and Links- POSTWEST \\ guess where - Transcultural festival: 24.–26.06.20 https://www.volksbuehne.berlin/en/programm/8735/festival-postwest- Gertrudes ielas teatris http://git.lv/?lang=enJune 21 2020 at 19.00 CET - Join us for a live discussion ahead of the festival. We will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewEasternEurope/videos/560595088179413/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS4vmhkqev4 - Talk Eastern Europe is a member of the EuroPod Network: https://www.bullemedia.eu/europod- Music featured in the podcast licensed under Creative Commons “Ballad of the Blackbirds” and “Barefoot” By Chad Croucherhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chad_Crouch/Field_Report_Vol_I_Oaks_Bottom_Instrumental/Ballad_Of_The_Blackbirds_Instrumental https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chad_Crouch/Drifter/Barefoot

In this special episode, Talk Eastern Europe revisits the transcultural festival POSTWEST – which was scheduled to take place at the end of May 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival – which sought to bring together artists from 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe – was forced to deal with the new reality. The festival found a new way to take place online in a virtual setting and will now take place June 24-26 2020.During this first of two special podcast episodes dedicated to POSTWEST, Adam interviews Vlad Troitsky and Andriy Palatnyi of the DAKH Center for Contemporary Art based in Kyiv. They discuss the history of the center, how it dealt with the lockdown situation and what its involvement in POSTWEST will look like in the virtual setting. The DAKH Center is the producers of not only theatre, but artists and music groups as well, including the very popular Ukrainian group “DakhaBrakha”.Resources and Announcements- Talk Eastern Europe is pleased to announce that it is now a member of the EuroPod Network! Learn more here: https://www.bullemedia.eu/europod- POSTWEST \\ guess where - Transcultural festival: 24.–26.06.20 https://www.volksbuehne.berlin/en/programm/8735/festival-postwest- DAKH Center of Contemporary Art http://dakh.com.ua/en/- Dakhabrakha musical group: https://www.dakhabrakha.com.ua - Dakh Daughters: https://dakhdaughters.com - Nova Opera (with English subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AWFrzRNEBQ- Dog Cage (2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhAu2_2gQW4 - June 21, 24, 25, 26: Stay tuned for live events with Talk Eastern Europe during the POSTWEST Festival: streams will be available on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NewEasternEurope) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeCLxAo-obBi8DReVJAmwZQ)SUPPORT US! Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Our experience with the coronavirus demonstrates that pandemics know no borders. Nearly every country has been affected. The economic crisis that continues to take a toll on societies shows that more than ever solidarity and global solutions are needed for global problems. Will the COVID-19 pandemic force humanity to rethink the international system and global order? Can future crises be averted by better global coordination and a more robust system?In this episode we invite you to take part in an intellectual exercise where we try to imagine what the global order may look like post-COVID-19. The episode features an interview with Andreas Umland, a senior expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future in Kyiv. The interview is based on the article titled “The coronavirus crisis as a critical juncture for Ukraine and the world” which was published online via New Eastern Europe and co-authored with Pavlo Klimkin – the former Ukrainian foreign minister.Resources:“The coronavirus crisis as a critical juncture for Ukraine and the world”. By Andreas Umland and Pavlo Klimkin. New Eastern Europe 4 May 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/04/the-coronavirus-crisis-as-a-critical-juncture-for-ukraine-and-the-world/“Grey zone politics: Why Ukraine needs creative international cooperation”. By Andreas Umland and Pavlo Klimkin. European Council on Foreign Relations. 16th April 2020. https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_grey_zone_politics_why_ukraine_needs_creative_international_coop“Ukrainian Institute for the Future”: https://uifuture.org/Support Talk Eastern Europe: Become a podcast Patron: www.patreon.com/TalkEasternEurope What do you think? Join the discussion on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope Check out our recent online debate on Polish and German policy towards Belarus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUZ7SeP5b4 Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License: “Hallon” by Christian Bjoerklund: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Christian_Bjoerklund/Skapmat/christian_bjoerklund_-_skpmat_ep_-_01_-_hallon

This debate was live streamed on Facebook and YouTube and republished here as a podcast. This is the second debate organized in the framework of the project titled “Ost/Wschód: German-Polish Debates on the East”.Belarus plays a unique role in both countries’ policies towards the region and as a member of the Eastern Partnership is also a key state in EU foreign policy. Yet, the country’s extremely close ties with Russia make Belarus a unique case, decisively not interested in European integration and for many years considered “the last dictatorship of Europe”. However, recent developments have demonstrated a possible opening towards Europe as the regime is resisting integration with Russia, while the country’s response to COVID-19 was like no other country in Europe which may play a role in this year’s presidential election.Speakers:– Anna Maria Dyner, Analyst on Belarus, Polish Institute of International Affairs– Ingo Petz, German journalist, expert on BelarusThe debate was moderated by Adam Balcer, Program Director with the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe (publisher of New Eastern Europe).The debate is co-organised by the Jan Nowak Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe and the Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V. (DRA) and sponsored by the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Warsaw Office as well as the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.

Information coming out of Chechnya is hard to come by. It is controlled by the tight grip of the Republic’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov. This episode attempts to get insight into what the response to COVID-19 looks like in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Adam interviews Lana Estemirova, a freelance journalist covering Chechnya. They talk about issues related to the heavy-handed response to the virus. They discuss media clampdowns, protests by medical professionals and the ongoing human rights situation there. We need only THREE MORE PATRONS to reach our goal of 25 by the end of June. Become a Patron here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeJoin the Talk Eastern Europe Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEuropeResources "Chechen leader threatens journalist Elena Milashina over COVID-19 reporting". Committee to Protect Journalists. 18 April 2020: https://cpj.org/2020/04/chechen-leader-threatens-journalist-elena-milashin/"Concern for Russian Journalist after Covid-19 Article about Chechnya." Netherlands Helsinki Committee. 29 April 2020: https://www.nhc.nl/concern-for-russian-journalist-after-covid-19-article-about-chechnya/Music Featured in the Podcast:Now We Feast by Alexander Nakarada. Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4768-now-we-feast License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

For the last several years China has viewed the region of Central and Eastern Europe as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the European Union and influence states between the East and the West. One country not often considered as one in China’s focus is Lithuania. In this episode Maciak interviews Konstantinas Andrijauskas, an Associate Professor of Asian Studies and International Politics at Vilnius University. They look at how China has focused on increasing its influence in the region and specifically its growing interest in Lithuania - economically and politically. They also discuss how the COVID-19 crisis now plays a role in relations with China in Europe and the West.Enjoy the podcast? Become a Patron. Support Talk Eastern Europe here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Join the podcast Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/talkeasterneuropeResourcesKonstantinas Andrijauskas: The Dragon and the Knight: China’s Growing Presence in Lithuania. Eastern Europe Studies Centre. http://www.eesc.lt/uploads/news/id1137/v07_Dragon-and-Knight_leidinys_A4.pdfEpisode 21: Russia-China relations in the spotlight https://www.spreaker.com/user/talkeasterneurope/episode21Music featured in the podcast under Creative Commons license 4.0 “Taste of China” by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/292-taste-of-chinaLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This debate took place live online an May 13 2020. The debate examines how Poland and Germany view the region of Eastern Europe. Both countries have a strong tradition in the region – either through Germany’s Ostpolitik or Poland’s Polityka Wschodnia.In this debate we address such questions as - What roles do history and geography play in Germany’s Ostpolitik and Poland’s Polityka Wschodnia? What are the commonalities to approaches of both countries? What are the differences? How does each country view the European Union’s position in the region? How do both states support the Eastern Partnership? What about relations with Russia and how did they change after the annexation of Crimea? What are recommendations for strengthening cooperation in this region?The debate features:Poland: Agnieszka Bryc - Assistant Professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńGermany: Wilfried Jilge - Associate Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)Moderated by Adam Reichardt, editor of New Eastern EuropeThe debate is co-organised by the Jan Nowak Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe and the Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V. (DRA) and sponsored by the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Warsaw Office as well as the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation within the framework of the project titled “Ost/Wschód: German-Polish Debates on the East”.

It has been two years since Nikol Pashinyan has come to power after the Velvet Revolution in Armenia. In this episode Adam catches up with Richard Giragosian to discuss how much has changed in the country and how much has not. They also discuss relations with Russia with Russia under Pashinyan, which seem to be heading towards a deeper crisis. Adam and Richard also explore how Armenia has managed the COVID-19 situation and try to understand what role, if any, other players like the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union have played in assisting Armenia in the crisis. Lastly, they look at the shifts in regional relations including with Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran as well as how the crisis has impacted the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.Become a Patron – we need only 3 more to reach our goal: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Resources:Valentina Gevorgyan: “Armenia’s different legacy” New Eastern Europe. 6 March 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/06/armenias-different-legacy/Follow New Eastern Europe’s ongoing coverage of the Coronavirus crisis in the Eastern Partnership: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/16/coronavirus-in-the-eastern-partnership-states/ Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope An appeal to help New Eastern Europe – Purchase our latest issue! https://neweasterneurope.eu/an-appeal-to-help-new-eastern-europe-purchase-our-latest-issue/Music in the podcast "The Road Home" by Alexander Nakarada licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4769-the-road-home. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Developments in relations between Romanian and Moldova have raised a lot eyebrows lately. After Moldova’s pro-European government has fallen to be replaced by a Kremlin-friendly one; along with an already pro-Russia president the question remains as to what role Romania plays in all this. In this episode, Maciek catches up with analyst Oktawian Milewski to discuss the historical ties between the two countries and current developments. They look at recent political developments; growing Russian influence in Moldova and what consequences the coronavirus crisis will have for the economies and relations.Become a Talk Eastern Europe Patron: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeResources & Links:Episode 19: Strange Bedfellows in Moldova: https://www.spreaker.com/user/talkeasterneurope/tee-ep-19-finalMoldova: A Russian credit or a Russian roulette? https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/05/moldova-a-russian-credit-or-a-russian-roulette/An appeal to help New Eastern Europe – Purchase our latest issue! https://neweasterneurope.eu/an-appeal-to-help-new-eastern-europe-purchase-our-latest-issue/Online Debate - May 13th 2020 - Debate: What are Polish / German views on the East? https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/08/debate-what-are-polish-german-views-on-the-east/Music featured in the Podcast Licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Imagefilm 017 by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/314-imagefilm-017