This podcast episode features Serhiy Sternenko interviewing Vladlen Marayev, creator of the widely-followed YouTube channel "History Without Myths." The discussion covers the development of Ukraine’s YouTube space, countering Russian propaganda, and the importance of educational content for the public.
Key topics include the surge in Ukrainian-language channels, the role of bloggers in information security, and the significance of popularizing historical research. The conversation expands to explore the "Russian World" ideology, the roots of Russia’s wars against Ukraine, and why national identity and collective memory matter.
The talk examines historical military conflicts, examples of smaller states defeating larger aggressors, and how military defeats have transformed empires such as Tsarist Russia, the USSR, and modern Russia. The podcast stresses that no country is invincible, highlighting the eventual collapse of great empires throughout history.
Further, the discussion covers the origins of world wars, today’s global security framework, the meaning of annexation under international law, and parallels between the 1938 Munich Agreement and current international pressure on Ukraine. Factors driving the fall of empires—including military loss, economic crisis, public discontent, and national movements—are also reviewed.
Marayev’s main conclusion: for Ukraine to succeed, unity is essential, as are defense readiness and strong alliances—while avoiding internal and external conflicts and focusing national resources on the central challenge. The interview ends with a call to support the Armed Forces and to subscribe to Ukrainian educational projects.