Wandering the Edge

What does a travel writer (pictured in the episode cover art), a noble turned foreign royal, a Mohawk tribal chief, a navy man and a space explorer have in common? Well, they were all Ukrainians! This episode looks at …

The Second World War tore apart the Second Polish Republic and was the main precursor to the creation of the Polish Home Army (AK) and the Ukrainian …

While Poland and Ukraine may have a very complicated history - there were moments of unity and cooperation between the two throughout history. This …

How did Volodymyr Ivasyuk become a house hold Ukrainian name? Why were his songs so popular - and are still sung around campfires, dining tables and …

Ukrainian emigration outside of Ukraine have been ongoing for centuries - both west and east. So many Ukrainians emigrated that they formed small Ukrainian communities who identified themselves as Ukrainians and many …

Yaroslav the Wise had four daughters and six sons. His daughters were all married to European rulers while his sons decided to play game of the …

The Second World War saw some of the most terrible and inhumane episodes in human history. Millions of civilians and soldiers were dead by the end of …

The Ottoman Empire is known, among other things, for its imperial harem. But a female slave from Ukraine turned the whole system of concubines on its …

Scott Bury is a journalist, novelist (from fantasy series to murder-mysteries to historical novels) and now podcaster. His Eastern Front Trilogy …

The 1960's counter-culture in Soviet Ukraine was a bit more dramatic than that of the West: poets could were feared, the individual was on the rise …

Volodymyr Monomakh was the prince of Smolensk, Chernihiv, Pereiaslav and finally the Grand Prince (aka King) of Kyivan-Rus from 1113 to 1125. How did …

A Russian princess turned famed front-line doctor meets a young strapping Ukrainian Colonel of the Ukrainian People's Army in 1919. They marry, have …

A verbal look at a very visual art form - we'll look at the evolution of Ukrainian dance. From a very pagan, spiritual dance form asking the gods for …

Who was this Cossack whom a Polish historian described as: "A lion's courage, the mobility of the snake, the cunning of the fox and the …

A man born in one empire, studied in Italy and Germany, came back to Lviv which was under Poland for his vocation, lived through the Second World …

A royal count who became a laywer who found his calling as a priest and became the head of his church at the age of 35! This was Metroplitan Andrey …

What is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and how did it come about? Who were the main characters who made it happen, who sort-of lost his mind in …

Our first interview of 2022 is with researcher and historian Alik Gomelsky. Originally from Kharkiv, he is a member of the Canadian Author’s Association, co-founder of the Ukrainian-Jewish International Association and …

Russia today wants to "deNazify" Ukraine, to eliminate the Ukrainian "fascists" and has systematically killed innocent civilians in this demented drive of theirs. But how did we get to this point - where Russian society …

Ukraine's independence in 1991 could not have been accomplished without the 1990 Revolution on Granite. The Orange Revolution could not have been …

Russian preside/dictator went on national television on Feb. 21, 2022 and showed the world that he was an insane despot. Three days later, on Feb. 24 at 5am Kyiv time, the Russian army began bombing Kyiv. This episode …

Due to the current Russia war against Ukraine, I've cut the travel/tourist topics from these episodes going forward until Putin withdraws his troops or basically dies. But I will still look at various historical topics, …

What is Russian imperialism and how does it differ from any other form of imperialism? Where did it start and why is it so focused on Ukraine? What is Putin, really and why is he so terrified of letting Ukraine go (even …

Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861) was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public, political figure, folklorist and ethnographer. He is seen by many as …

These women were some of the firsts to become officers in any armed forces of the world - during a time of unimaginable turmoil that was the Great War. These veterans of the First World War had active lives before, …

In this week's episode, we have a discussion with Dr. Marnie Howlett - a Departmental Lecturer in Politics and Qualitative Methods in the Department …

Gregory Orlyk or Gregoire Orlyk or Hryhor Orlyk - the Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword, the French Order of Saint Louis and the Polish Order …

Pylyp Orlyk, Ivan Mazepa's successor, wrote one of the first democratic constitutions in European history. He was also an exiled Hetman, a wandering diplomat and a endless optimist when it came to Ukrainian-Cossack …

Hetman Ivan Mazepa is a controversial historical figure - but he was also the longest ruling Hetman of the Cossacks and the only one to die a natural …

King Danylo Halytsky or Daniel of Galicia or the King of Ruthenia or Danylo Romanovych or Prince of Galicia, Przemysl and Volodymyr - a 13th century …

The Brotherhood of Sts. Cyril and Methodius was a secret literary club including some of Ukraine's most prominent Romantic literary figures, including Taras Shevchenko, during a time where literary clubs were all the …

Do you know how small the 11th century medieval European royal courts were? How did Yaroslav the Wise become known as the "father-in-law of Europe"? How his four daughters became influential among the Hungarian, …

Operation Frantic was a joint (sort-of) Soviet-American bombing operation at the tail-end of the Second World War. Using Ukrainian air bases that also housed the Germans and Soviets before them, the American bombers …

Did you know that the Scythians were a large influence on European civilization? That their military prowess lead them all the way to Egypt and …

How did Ukrainian music evolve throughout time? What influenced it and how was it changed by Soviet occupation? What is the "bilyj holos" or natural …

Who was Metropolitan Lypkivsky, the man who said this in 1919: "If you do not become united in the defence of your homeland, you will weep under …

In this episode, we explore how and why Ukraine's oligarchs came to be through the prism of the theory of political economy. Which oligarchs own …

Why are Ukrainian weddings so awesome? How were these traditions created and how did they evolve? When do the couple begin their wedding journey and …

Who was part of the Red Renaissance - a group of Ukrainian communist artist-intellectuals who got to live in their own apartment building? This one buiding in central Kharkiv became Stalin's "Great Terror Lite" - before …

Who were the registered and Zaporizhian Cossacks, what was their impact on Ukrainian culture, society, historical memory, military formations and …

Marusia Churai, Ukrainian poetess from the 17th century, wrote a poem about poisoning her lover and then became a national icon. How did this happen? Why did her poems, turned songs, become an inspiration for a nation …

This episode explores the story of Olha of Kyiv – saint, mother, queen, diplomat, reformer and warrior (probably). The woman whose revenge is part of history, who outsmarted the Emperor of Byzantium and who inspired the …

In the second episode of our look at the Cucuteni-Trypillian civilization, we'll take a deep dive into the agricultural landscape, trade, the …

Which civilization is older - Sumer, Egypt or the Cucuteni-Trypillian? Find out in this episode and learn about the first civilization to build urban …

In this special bonus episode for the holidays, we explore the history of Ukrainian Christmas traditions. Why do we have 12 courses, what are the …

In this week’s episode, a discussion is had with Oleksandr Pahiria, a historian specializing on Carpatho-Ukraine - which declared independence in March 1939. It kept that independence alive, almost against all hope, for …

Robin Hoods weren’t only around in the English countryside and in this episode we’ll learn that almost every culture has their version of a Robin …

Thousands of Ukrainian-Canadians joined the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War - this episode will look at some of their histories, where they came from, why they joined, what they experienced during the …

What does a Ukrainian have to do with revolutionizing the coffee world? How did he save a besieged Vienna? And how does Lviv's coffee culture have to …

How many pagan traditions still exist in Ukrainian culture? Who did the pagans worship and which of their festivals do Ukrainians still celebrate? …

Why is language important? How did the Ukrainian language evolve to what it is today? And how does language endanger the ruling class? Find out in …

A name is important, a country name is a brand, so how did Ukraine become Ukraine? This episode explores the fascinating, complex and surprisingly …