The imperial mindest knows no borders
A conversation with Vitaliy Dribnytsia, a Ukrainian historian. Interviewer: Nikodem Szczygłowski
April 21, 2026 -
Nikodem Szczygłowski
Vitalii Dribnytsia
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InterviewsIssue 3 2026Magazine
Photo courtesy of Vitaliy Dribnytsia.
NIKODEM SZCZYGŁOWSKI: You communicate primarily with Russians through live conversations on so-called “chat roulette” – an online platform that randomly connects users via video and enables spontaneous exchanges. You record these encounters and later publish them. In such conversations, are you ever able to persuade your interlocutors to reconsider their views or learn basic facts about Ukrainian history that were previously unknown to them?
VITALIY DRIBNYTSIA: When I began this activity, I wanted to use the opportunities offered by the internet to reach ordinary Russians. My intention was to find a common language with them and to explain certain historical issues. Over time, however, I realized that I am not Don Quixote. At best, I am Sancho Panza. It makes little sense to try to persuade people in such settings, especially on chat roulette platforms, where one often encounters individuals without historical education and sometimes without broader education altogether. Today, rather than trying to convince them, I simply respond to their questions and explain the basic elements of Ukrainian history.
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history, imperialism, revisionism, Russia, Ukraine
